


A rainy night

by bettyH20



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:34:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25610656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bettyH20/pseuds/bettyH20
Summary: The night before the regatta there is a late knock on Sidney’s door. He hadn't expected who he saw when he opened it.What did a drenched Charlotte Heywood want in his hotel room?
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 180
Kudos: 453





	1. In the rain

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little story, but I hope you like it ...  
> It starts on the night before the regatta and works out the following day as it might have happened ... at least in my head 😊.  
> Enjoy reading ...

The rain stung coldly on Charlotte's skin, her dress and spencer were soaked and it was already scary dark, but still she walked along the beach, deep in her thoughts.

But no matter how long she delayed it, she had to tell him. At least she owed him honesty in this matter, and she herself was more than appalled at Georgiana's behavior.

But it was difficult to persuade herself to go to him.

Tomorrow the regatta would take place, an event she had been looking forward to and which was now overshadowed by the presence of an elegant, beautiful woman. Seeing Mrs. Eliza Campion today - on Sidney Parker's arm, had hurt more than Charlotte expected.

Still completely unsettled by what had happened in London and at this ball, she sighed deeply and turned towards the hotel. Charlotte knew where Mr. Parker's room was; three nights ago she had seen him smoking by the open window while he had stared at the sea.

But would he be there, or would he be with Mrs. Campion, who also stayed in the same hotel?

Or would he be in the _Denhams Arms_ to drink with Mr. Crowe and Lord Babington?

She didn't know, but she had to try, even if she knew that it was totally inappropriate for a young lady not to be behind safe walls at this hour, let alone to visit a man who did not belong to her.

No matter how much she would secretly wish for that.

It was really late, so the alley in the back of the hotel was deserted and Charlotte was able to sneak into the hotel through a back door. From there she quietly went up two floors and to the door she thought was his.

With a beating heart and weak legs she hesitated. As she slowly raised her trembling hand to knock on the wooden door, she held her breath with nervousness and anticipation.

Sidney got up restlessly and wondered whether he should take a short walk over the cliffs.He would never be able to sleep like this, he felt tense and infinitely nervous.

The look on Miss Heywood's face when she saw him with Mrs. Campion on his arm was burned into his head. She looked so hurt, so sad and insecure - and downright lost. 

Why had she stood there motionless in the hallway and looked at him in this way? And what did it mean that he didn't want to do anything more than detach himself from Eliza and go to her to pull her close to himself and wrap her in his arms?

This woman with her wild curls and her big, sensual eyes drove him insane.

Everything had gotten out of control since the ball in London. Suddenly he felt like he was losing something he had only found in the past few weeks - something he couldn't even name - and that fact made him infinitely angry.

For a moment, on that fateful evening, he had been distracted by memories - by an old dream of a possible life. He had lost sight of Charlotte and when he felt that something was wrong, she was gone. After she disappeared, the ballroom had felt much more crowded and stuffy, the sounds seemed too loud, and he had immediately felt the need to leave. Friendly, he had said goodbye to Eliza, had only vaguely answered her invitation to tea in her town house and had called for the carriage.

When he got to Bedfort Place, he had been standing in front of her door for a while, but hadn't dared to knock. There had been no sound from inside and he suspected she was already asleep, but it had been very difficult for him to retreat to his own room.

The morning after, he had hoped to meet her alone and ask her if she was fine and why she had left the ball so suddenly, but he didn't get the opportunity. The moment he entered the salon, Charlotte had rushed past him without looking at him, muttering an apology. Then he had noticed that Tom had spoken enthusiastically about the ball - about the happiness that Sidney had finally renewed the acquaintance with the woman he loved after so many years. But Tom had scolded why he had left the ball so early. Sidney's blood went cold when Tom told him that he had taken it upon himself to invite Eliza to the regatta on his behalf and that she was very happy to be Sidney's guest in Sanditon.

Overstrained by this situation, he hadn't known what to say.So he had kept silent, especially since Charlotte had hardly looked at him and had obviously avoided his company. Although Tom had urged him to stay in London, he had insisted on accompanying his ward back to Sanditon himself. He also wanted to make sure Charlotte came back safely, but the journey was very tense. During the entire carriage ride, she curled up in the far corner of the carriage and stared out the window until she fell asleep. He'd been watching her the whole time, wondering what was going on in her head. What did she think of him after all the events related to Georgiana's kidnapping?

Had she felt the same connection between them that he had felt during that one dance? And could she still feel his touch on her as he could feel hers on him?

His head turned with all these thoughts, but since it was raining heavily outside, he got up with a sigh and poured himself another glass of whiskey.He sipped the drink slowly and enjoyed the burning sensation in his throat as the liquid made its way through his body.

Barefoot, only in pants and shirt - without a tie, vest or shoes, he was just about to lean back in the armchair in front of the fireplace when there was a soft knock on the door.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise.Who would want anything from him at such an hour?

He sincerely hoped it wasn't Eliza. She had asked him to accompany her to dinner, but the conversation had been exhausting. After seemingly endless two hours, he had escaped her with a brazen lie, but he could no longer stand the gossip about London's high society.

Rather unwillingly, he went to the door and opened it only a crack. But when he saw who was standing outside, he took a startled breath and pushed the door fully open to pull a completely soaked, trembling, and at that moment really tiny looking Miss Heywood over the threshold into his room.

"Miss Heywood ..." he said, slightly annoyed, but tried to keep his face blank.

What was she doing here at this hour and in this state?

"What are you doing here? You can't knock on my door in the middle of the night, have you even thought about your reputation for a single second?”

He immediately regretted his harsh words when he saw her wince. His temperament once again outweighed the deeper feeling he was not ready for at the moment.

Charlotte had to force herself to take a deep breath. The sight of Sidney Parker's bare feet and bare neck immediately reminded her of what was under his clothes. His white shirt hung loosely around his broad shoulders and she could see the fine lines of his collarbone. She blushed, lowered her eyes, and didn't dare look around his room.

It had been a mistake to come here, she realized now. It was far too close to him.

She found it incredibly attractive to see him so relaxed and without the perfect dress code. It seemed to get closer to who he really was, and it made her heart race. At the same time, his scent hung all over this room, it was so intense that it made her slightly dizzy and she swallowed hard. 

"I ... please forgive me ..., I was careful," she tried to defend herself, but suddenly it seemed as if she couldn't make a coherent sentence. "I saw something ... I mean ... I have to talk to you ... I ...".

She stopped in frustration and closed her eyes to escape Sidney's confused and seemingly angry expression.

At least he was kind enough to give her time to collect herself, which was also because he just couldn't take his eyes off her shape.

Her wet muslin dress clung to her body and her incredible curves were clearly expressed through the white fabric. Her narrow waist, the sweet curves of her hips and her legs shimmered through the now almost transparent fabric, but worse was the tight spencer which emphasized her breasts even more than usual due to the moisture. She had her bonnet in her hand, her wet hair was a tangle of wild curls, and since she was freezing, she wrapped her arms protectively around herself. She seemed incredibly small to him and his heart jumped strange.

The sight of her made his whole body tremble and a deep desire began to burn inside him. 

"I was with Georgiana this afternoon and found a letter from Otis with the date from the day before yesterday," Charlotte finally managed to say, hesitantly lifting her head and met Sidney's eyes.

As expected, he was confused at first, then angry, but something else overlayed every emotion on his face, something Charlotte couldn't understand.

Without responding to what she had just said, he grabbed her arm again and pulled her closer to the fireplace.

"You're going to get sick," he murmured with a frown and a dark, harsh voice. The sound - with his hand on her arm - made Charlotte shiver. Through his touch, Sidney could feel that the fabric of her dress was soaked. Where she had just stood was a puddle of water and she was freezing cold.

"You are freezing and you will catch a cold," he growled, leading her even closer to the fireplace and letting go of her, rather unwillingly."Why do you go for a walk in such a rain at all? We are here on the coast, where the wind can quickly increase to strong gusts."

Contrary to his rather harsh and reproachful words, his expression was worried and Charlotte could only look at him. Was he really worried about her?

An unknown worry flooded Sidney, a feeling that he had never known before and it made him forget all thoughts of decency.

"You have to take off your wet clothes, otherwise you will never get warm." His voice was almost choked with these words, he spoke quietly, but the meaning hung heavily between them.

"What?" Charlotte asked horrified, but Sidney was already going to his bed on the back wall to get a blanket.

"Miss Heywood, you shiver and you have to get out of this dress."She looked at him completely confused - she couldn't undress herself in his room in the middle of the night. Ashamed, she noticed how tense he was. His jaw tightened, his teeth were clenched, and she realized how uncomfortable the situation was for him.

"Oh my God ..., I shouldn't have come here. Please forgive me, Mr. Parker.I'll go. When your fiance sees me here ...".Charlotte turned to the door with flushed cheeks. What was she thinking?

But this time he grabbed her with both of his hands, held tightly but gently her upper arms and turned her to face him with a confused and surprised expression in his eyes.

"My what?" It came out harder than he intended, but her words made him cold inside. Charlotte winced, blushed even more, and nervously searched for an answer.

"I apologize, I was just ... your brother has spoken of little else since you found her at the London ball.He firmly believes that you and Mrs. Campion will get married this year." She hadn't been able to keep the trembling out of her voice, but hoped he'd just attribute it to the cold.But what she couldn't hide was the disappointment and sadness on her face, so she stubbornly looked at the floor.

So she didn't see the anger and confusion with which Sidney was looking at her, but when he spoke, his voice was so dark and angry that she looked up at him again.

"I swear to God, one day I will ..." Sidney broke off, breathing heavily. For a moment he looked out of the window towards Trafalger House before he swallowed and searched for her eyes again.

"That could not be further from the truth and is definitely not my intention." 

She believed him, but Tom's words, which she had heard so often in the past few days, did not go away easily from her head. Although Charlotte knew that the whole thing was really none of her business, she couldn't help saying what was bothering her.

"But you invited her here - to the regatta. You two have spent every minute together since she got here ...".

Breathless, she stopped when Sidney took a step towards her. He was so close to her now that she could feel his warmth and his nearness made her tremble uncontrollably.

"Tom invited her, not me, and you were the one who accused me of not helping my brother enough. I am doing my duty to him, nothing else,” he said softly, his eyes pierced hers and for a moment it seemed as if he wanted to say more. 

But he could see that she was terribly freezing because she was trembling so much, which is why he pulled back.

"Take your clothes off, Miss Heywood. I'll go downstairs and get some tea." The idea that she would undress herself in his room was almost unbearable. His heart was racing as he moved away from her, but at the door he turned back to her briefly. His eyes were illegible and his voice was barely audible."I'll knock before I enter."

With that he was gone and left Charlotte in his room alone.

With an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach, she had no choice but to undress before he came back. The blue spencer, her dress, the stays, her stockings and her shoes. She kept her thin shirt on, although it was also wet. Then she hung her clothes to dry over a chair that she pulled closer to the fireplace, and wrapped herself tightly in his blanket.

The smell of the blanket made her almost dizzy. She sat on the floor in front of the fire and allowed herself to take a deep breath. It smelled of his cigars, his horse and leather, and something that just had to be his own scent because it was nothing she knew.

How was it possible that only his scent had such a strong impact on her? He awakened feelings in her that she did not understand and again the words of Lady Susan came to her head. 

But was it possible that love was so painful and confusing, and so beautiful at the same time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... the night is not yet over...


	2. In the firelight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh how I love all of your comments. It is so reassuring and encouraging to read your thoughts on my story ❤️❤️.  
> I hope you enjoy reading ...

With a hot pot of tea and two cups on a tray, Sidney knocked softly on his own room door, hoping that no one would see him. 

When there was no reply from the inside, he carefully entered and found Charlotte wrapped in his blanket in front of the fireplace.The fire lit up her slender shape and now that he knew she was barely wearing anything, he had to tense every muscle in his body to suppress his reaction to her.

Charlotte watched uncertainly as he slowly entered the room and carefully closed the door behind him.The dishes on the tray clinked as he set it down on the small table, and when he raised his head their eyes met.

They looked at each other but said nothing because both were aware of the utter inappropriateness of the situation.So Sidney concentrated on his task and poured tea while trying to hide the fact that his fingers were shaking a little.

"You put a spoonful of sugar in your tea, right?" He casually asked the question without looking up and was already stirring the sugar into her cup. Charlotte raised her eyebrows in surprise. How did he know how she drank her tea?But then she remembered that she also knew he was drinking his tea without anything and looked at him carefully.

"Yes, that's right," she whispered softly and saw his face twist into a smile for a moment.

Her low voice sounded surprised, but he knew many things about her that he shouldn't have known. He had often watched her in secret, and how she drank her tea was one of the many things he remembered.

Now he took the filigree cup between his big fingers and hesitantly stepped forward to give her the hot drink.When she reached out for it, he saw her bare arm up to her shoulder and closed his eyes, panting softly.

The narrow strap of the white shirt she was wearing covered almost nothing, and her pale, bare skin shimmered in the light of the fire.

That was too much, how should he ever forget these pictures? How should he resist the urge to touch her?

Deep inside, the desire that he had for her - a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time and that only she seemed to bring out - began to consume him and he took a few steps away from her.

Charlotte's heart got a stab.She misunderstood his reaction, felt stupid and strangely disappointed, and clutched the blanket around her.His body seemed so tense and Charlotte felt guilty about putting him in this situation.The shame that flooded her when he shrank from the sight of her bare arm hurt terribly and made her blush. Hastily, she put the cup of tea on the floor near the fireplace, without taking a sip of it.

"I ... I should go ... I take up too much of your time.I shouldn't have come here at all.”

She was about to get up when he approached her and sat in an armchair across from her. The thought of her leaving this room was unbearable and Sidney knew he would do anything to stop her.

"You can't go ...," he almost whispered, his voice rough and dark, while his eyes seemed to glow angrily."The rain has gotten stronger and it is storming, you also wanted to tell me something about Georgiana."

She had completely forgotten that, but the tension and anger he radiated made all thoughts disappear from her head and she felt uncomfortable and unsettled.

"Mr.Parker ...., you're angry with me.I ... I didn't want to annoy you.” Now her voice trembled openly, she couldn't hide it and needed everything not to cry in front of him.So much had happened in the past days, and slowly everything was catching up with her. "My clothes are sure to be dry, please turn around so I can get dressed and leave."

Angry?Sidney watched her carefully, wondering if it could really be true. Was she really so innocent that she didn't understand the look in his eyes and thought it was anger?

Even though he knew it was dangerous for him, he leaned forward in his chair and searched for her eyes.

"Why do you think I'm angry?"

Charlotte's heart trembled at the sound of his voice, which was even darker and more scratchy.Her body's reaction unsettled her, and she knew her cheeks glowed with embarrassment. He waited patiently for her answer, but Charlotte was unable to look at him, so she fixed her gaze on his bare feet.

"You ..., you look at me angrily, ... or rather, you can't look at me at all and turn away from me." She spoke quietly, Sidney could see how hard she breathed and his heart stuttered.

She was beautiful. 

The heat of the fire curled her hair even more than usual, her cheeks flushed wildly, her chin trembled as she spoke, and her forehead was wrinkled.

An indescribable feeling of affection came over him, she was so insecure and tiny on the floor in front of him and he couldn't stand it anymore.

Slowly, he pushed his body forward until he knelt directly in front of her. He heard her gasp for breath when he got so close, she still wasn't looking at him and Sidney slowly raised his hand to gently grab her cheek. Gently he forced her to look at him, looked into her dark doe eyes, and had to force himself not to kiss her sweet, red, and tempting lips.

His warm, big palm on her face almost took her breath away. It was the first time they touched skin to skin and the feeling was indescribable. Sidney was beautiful in the flickering light of the fire, his almost black eyes burned into her, his scent that was already everywhere in his room became even more intense and Charlotte's body grew hot.

"What you see is not anger," Sidney whispered, barely able to speak.His fingers slid gently over her soft, velvety skin and his heart was racing.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows in confusion, but couldn't help asking what he meant.

"Then ... what is it?"

Sidney laughed hoarsely, almost tormented, but still the sound was something Charlotte wanted to hear a lot more often.She could see the tip of his tongue slide briefly over his lip, he took a shuddering breath, but never turned his eyes away from her.

"It is ... longing ..., desire ...".

He could see her eyes widen, her breath caught at his words, and yet he could see that she didn't quite understand him.

"I don't understand, Mr. Parker.Longing for ..., for what?” She asked hesitantly and with a confused face. 

Sidney slowly moved closer to her and his hand, still holding her cheek, slid into her frizzy curls. He knew he should withdraw from her, but just couldn't. Charlotte looked up, looked him straight in the eye with her lips slightly open and he was completely lost.

She'd dug under his skin from the start and made him seek her near. She had challenged him and yet completely fascinated him. He had resisted for a long time and ignored his feelings, but he could no longer keep them away - and neither did he want to.

"Longing for you, Charlotte ... ", he whispered breathlessly, so quietly that she hardly heard it and suddenly he looked so vulnerable that Charlotte had to reach for him.

Her fingers clawed into the fabric of his shirt, just above his chest, she trembled so much that she was afraid of losing her balance and the heat in her body was getting worse. She blushed even more, Sidney watched the enchanting color spread over her throat and neck and disappear under the edge of his blanket, which she was still holding around her shoulders.

It was too much, his desire was suddenly too big to hold back, so he slowly and almost hesitantly let his fingers slide from her hair down to her neck. When he reached the blanket, he hooked a finger under the fabric and looked at her pleadingly, unable to put his wish into words.

He wanted to look at her, to touch her and feel her warmth ....

Shivering, Charlotte understood what he was asking for.She was unsure, but his wish sparked an all-consuming fire inside her so she couldn't resist. Timidly, she dropped her hand so that the blanket spread open over her shoulders. 

Breathing heavily, she watched him and noted every detail on his face. Sidney swallowed hard, gently pushed the blanket off her shoulders until the heavy fabric fell to the floor and she was just in her undershirt in front of him.The thin fabric had a deep neckline and was tied together with a loop, the narrow straps were almost transparent and showed her bare shoulders.

She felt almost naked under his burning, so incredibly dark eyes, but strangely, it wasn't uncomfortable for her.She wanted him to look at her, even though she thought he wouldn't like her body.

Sidney felt like his heart was just stopping. He could hardly breathe, his body was hot and tense and he could not take his eyes off her. The urge to touch her lips with his was strong, he had never wanted to kiss a woman as much as he wanted to kiss her. Slowly he raised his hand, tenderly touched her full lower lip with his thumb and then let his hand wander over her neck.

His fingertips gently slid over her bare skin, leaving a trail of fire on her neck, her collarbone, and when he reached the fabric of her shirt, he slid down over the edge of her neckline.

He was fascinated to see her soft skin twitch, his touch leaving goose bumps on her, but the soft whimpering sound that escaped her lips reminded him of what he was doing to her. It was probably the first time that a man touched her - that anyone ever touched her or saw her like that, and he didn't want to scare her away with his greed for her.But it was very difficult since her breast rose and fell quickly and they looked insanely seductive.He looked up at her and noticed that she had closed her eyes, a sensual expression on her face. 

"Charlotte ...," he whispered, her scent made him feel slightly dizzy, but he forced his fingers to stop at the loop of her shirt. Under his fingers he felt the soft, velvety skin of her breast, his index finger pushed into the deep valley in between and he had to suppress a groan. She felt so good.

What he couldn't suppress was the urge to touch her skin with his lips, which is why he leaned forward and let his mouth slide lightly over her cheek.

Charlotte gasped, unable to believe that he called her by her first name or what he was doing to her, and tightened her grip on his shirt. His hot breath, his full, soft lips - her body wavered from all the unusual sensations, but when his mouth left her skin, she felt it as a painful loss.

Their eyes met, she saw the tenderness with which he looked at her, but also what she now knew was desire.

"You ... oh Charlotte, you are so beautiful." His voice was just a hoarse growl - he couldn't do more.But to his surprise, she shook her head uncertainly.

"No, ... I'm ...," she stuttered, swallowing hard because his fingers, now playing with the ribbons of her shirt, were so close to areas of her body that no one had ever seen before.It made her nervous, even more, because she knew she looked completely different from the ladies of London's high society.

"I ... I'm not like the ladies in London.My hair is ... is too wild, my ..., my face too often in the sun and my ..., my body has too much of ... everything."

With a gentle smile, Sidney let his eyes wander over her - over her face with the many freckles and her wild, curly hair.Then his eyes went deeper, to her full breasts, which he could see clearly under the thin shirt, to her stomach and hips, which were half covered by the blanket.

It was precisely her curves - the sensual curves of her otherwise slim, tiny body that made his heart race and he could hardly speak when he looked at her face again.

"You are perfect, Charlotte," he whispered softly, "... for me. You shouldn't doubt yourself, I told you that."

As he spoke, he had slipped closer and closer, leaning toward her and lifting her face to his with his hand.Overwhelmed by his words, Charlotte could only look at him, but her eyes fell from his eyes to his lips.

She had always wondered what it would be like to be kissed by a man - to be kissed by him.Her own lips tingled, her heart was racing, and when he was so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face, she closed her eyes. 

Sidney couldn't resist anymore, he closed the tiny distance and gently touched Charlotte's lips with his own.

He could feel her shiver, gently stroked her mouth with his and enjoyed the feeling of her sweet lips.They were so inviting, so full and soft, and he couldn't help but sip at her gently.

He knew that this would probably be her first kiss and tensed every single muscle in his body to control himself.But when he felt her fingers reach into his hair - how she slowly and carefully returned his movements, even sipped his lips shyly and straightened up a little so as not to lose his closeness, he gave up and opened his mouth to put her lower lip between his.

Charlotte could no longer think clearly, she could only feel. Sidney's lips were so soft and warm, his touch was beautiful and without thinking about it, she did the same to him as he did to her.She didn't want him to pull back and tightened her grip on his soft curls. Her whole body followed him as he seemed to be detaching from her, but she gasped in surprise when she felt his warm hand on her waist.

His palm was so big that it covered her entire lower back. He pulled gently, waited for her reaction with a racing heart, and felt her give in to the pressure. Slowly she crawled towards him, Sidney moved, put his hands on her hips and gently lifted her onto his lap.

He sat on his own legs and pulled her close to himself - without loosening his lips from hers - until her legs spread around his waist and her breasts pressed against his chest. Holding her tiny body in his arms and feeling her fingers in his hair triggered several sensations at once in him and Sidney trembled. It was comforting to feel her weight, the need to protect her was overwhelming - and at the same time it was absolutely arousing.

Charlotte, on the other hand, did not know what the feelings inside of her meant. Where did the heat come from that was threatening to burn her? But she knew that she would not be able to break away from him.It was indescribable to feel him like that and slowly her hands slid over his neck to his broad shoulders to be able to hold onto the fabric of his shirt again. His body was hard and hot under hers, his hands burned through the thin fabric to her skin and she couldn't help but moan softly. 

The sound ignited a fire inside of Sidney that made it impossible for him to detach from her.Her soft, supple body on his lap made him rock hard and he hoped she wouldn't notice him or shrink from him. He moved unobtrusively so that he was not pressed against her middle and slowly let his big hands slide over her spine.

She immediately responded to him, Sidney felt her body bend against his and she clung to him.

His need to taste her grew, it was unbearable to resist and slowly he licked his tongue gently over her lower lip.

Charlotte opened her eyes in surprise, but did not detach from him and when their eyes met, she slid her hand from his shoulder over his neck to the stubble on his cheek. Sidney’s eyes were completely black now, they seemed to look right into her soul and Charlotte scratched his beard lightly with her fingertips.Her touch made his whole body tremble and his eyes closed again. She tasted sweet and sensual, again Sidney licked with his tongue over her lips and this time she opened her mouth to him.

He groaned softly as he dipped his tongue into her mouth, searched for hers and began to stroke her gently.The sound that escaped him, his irresistible, unfamiliar taste and his hot hands that pressed her to his broad body were completely overwhelming. Charlotte wanted to get closer to him, had to feel him closer and clutched his head.Slowly she started to meet Sidney's tongue with hers, stroked him too and followed his lead.

Whimpering softly, her tongue seemed to danced with his, she let him lure her into his mouth and stroked his full, seductive lower lip just as he had previously done to hers.

He pressed her so hard against himself that she felt his muscles move and she couldn't stop touching him. Slowly she slid over the fine curls on the back of his neck to his throat, over his bare collarbone and over the base of his chest to the button of his shirt. His skin twitched under her fingers, he was so warm and silky, but she hesitated.

Would he allow her to open the button? 

Charlotte could hardly believe what was happening, nor could she understand it. It was completely confusing, but at the same time it seemed the only right thing to do.

What they were doing was totally inappropriate, but when his hands slid over her narrow back, his fingers pushed into her hair, and he deepened his kiss even more, she slowly opened the button on his shirt with trembling fingers.

Her touch was light - careful and shy, but her fingers left a trail of fire on his skin. Sidney had never felt like this, had never completely lost control of himself, but he couldn't stop.When he felt her shyly push the fabric of his shirt apart to put her palm on his chest, he felt like he was finally home.

Still, it wasn't enough. Sidney needed more, he needed ..., he needed to feel her, give in to the attraction he had felt for her for so long and which had thrown him off track when they had danced together.

Even though he knew it was wrong, he loosened his lips from hers and pulled his shirt over his head in a flowing motion. 

"Oh ...".It was just a breathless murmur that Charlotte escaped and she stared at him. She blushed terribly and could hardly breathe when she dropped her hands flat on his chest to stroke his soft, hot skin. She knew he was watching her, but she couldn't look away from him. Hesitating, she traced the fine, dark hair marks on his body, the hard muscles on his sides, and leaned her upper body further back to look at him better.

Sidney’s chest moved with heavy breaths, his hands were back on her hips and held her tight - for fear she would go away.He watched every move on her face, enjoyed the touch of her tiny hands, and shivered at the look in her eyes.It was pure admiration.

"You are ..., you are really ... beautiful," whispered Charlotte shyly, blushed again and traced his abs.

With a low and surprised gasp, he closed his eyes for a moment.What was she doing to him? Her words - her hands ...

When he looked up again he met her eyes and pushed his hands from her waist up to her wild curls.He ran his thumbs over her sides, felt her ribs under the thin shirt and the swelling of her breasts. Again she whimpered softly, her face grimacing with emotion, but she didn't look away from him. 

She was so sensual, her lips red and swollen from his kiss, her cheeks flushed - she was irresistibly beautiful. Sidney slowly leaned forward to take her mouth gently and slowly with his.

It was a long and passionate kiss that made Charlotte press against him again and let her fingers run across the noticeable muscles on his broad back.Her tender hands on him made his longing for her unbearable.Sidney knew, what they were doing was inappropriate and wrong, but this woman was all he wanted.Hesitatingly, he grabbed the loop on her shirt again, played with the string, and detached himself from her by rubbing his lips over her mouth and leaning his forehead against hers. 

"May I?"

The deep hum of his voice ran over her hands on him all over her body, up to places she didn't even know existed.At first she didn't understand what he meant until she felt his fingers on her neckline. She looked up, met his eyes, which she asked in silence, and she began to breathe uncontrollably.

Did he really want to loosen the loop on her shirt?

He would look at her like no one before. But Charlotte wanted him to look at her and and returned his gaze trustingly.Her whole body trembled when she nodded hesitantly and gave him permission to undress her.Sidney smiled slightly, the trust that she gave him almost made his heart stop beating and his face glowed with tenderness.His fingers trembled as they gently pulled the strings and his eyes fell down.

The loop loosened, her shirt fell apart, exposing most of her full, beautiful breasts. 

Shivering, Sidney took a deep breath.Her milky skin was covered with goose bumps and a fine blush that radiated down from her cheeks. The sight was breathtaking, but it wasn't enough.He wanted to look at her completely, he wanted to touch her, so he continued to slowly pull on the fabric, gently pushing the straps over her shoulders until her white shirt fell in a pile around her waist.

Shaking and breathing heavily, Charlotte sat on Sidney's lap - bare-chested and could not take her eyes off his face.

His breath caught and his lips opened as his dark gaze slid over her body. A hoarse, dark groan escaped him when he looked at her round, full breasts. Her tiny, rosy nipples stretched hard and stiff towards him, begging to be touched.Her skin was almost translucent, no one had ever seen her like this, and Sidney felt an overwhelming feeling of pride.Pride and gratitude for allowing him to look at her like this. He could see her ribs, her slim stomach, and her belly button, which was still half hidden by the fabric of her shirt.

He couldn't help it, he had to touch her.He knew he should stop - she was innocent and pure - but it was just impossible. She was the seduction embodied for him .... 

Without taking his eyes off her, he slid his fingers across the bare skin of her back to between her narrow shoulder blades.Charlotte's eyes closed, unconsciously lifting her breasts closer to him and lost in the feeling of his touch on her bare skin.

Slowly, Sidney’s other hand rose by itself and he had to bite his lip as he put his palm straight into the valley between her breasts.The whimpering sound that she made was tempting, he lost control and slowly shoved his hand over the swelling of her breast until he could gently and carefully brush her hard nipple with his fingertips.

The feeling was so different from anything Charlotte knew and she couldn't help but moan.Her eyes fluttered shut, she only felt Sidney's hands and his body under hers and completely lost herself in the man who could be hard and dismissive but also incredibly gentle and tender.

Fascinated, Sidney watched her nipple get harder under his fingers, the bud was now as hard as a pebble on the beach, and growling softly, he gripped her round breast with the palm of his hand. The noises that escaped Charlotte drove him insane, he gently caressed her breast and looked at her. 

Her slightly opened lips called for him and her hot breath hit his face.She looked incredibly seductive in her innocence and when he grabbed her mouth again with his, she met his searching tongue avidly with her own. With her small, hot hands she moved across the bare skin of his back, he felt so incredibly good that Charlotte couldn't stop, but when she felt his hand move from her shoulder to her other breast to stroke this one as well,she clung to his neck and bent towards him.

Sidney's mouth devoured her, his kiss grew deeper and more passionate and left her breathless, but still she whimpered as he pulled away.

With a soft, harsh laugh he kissed her lips again, which had followed his before he gently kissed the sensitive skin under her ear and made her gasp.

"Charlotte ...," he murmured hoarsely, taking a hand from her breast to put his arm around her back to press her against him."We have to stop. That ... that's not right."

Contrary to his words, his body moved on its own.His arm held her as he leaned forward and laid her with her back on the floor in front of him.

Her body seemed so tiny, her beautiful breasts rose with her quick breaths, and as he supported himself with one hand, he slowly climbed over her. He made sure to kneel over her legs with his, so as not to burden her with his weight and not to press his hard cock against her.

She lay there and looked at him.There was trust in her eyes - affection and tenderness.She timidly raised a hand to his cheek and ran her fingertips lovingly over his stubble.The strange feeling tickled her fingers, but she couldn't stop stroking him.She never thought he would ever look at her like that - with dark, loving eyes that softened her bones.Slowly her thumb slid to his full lips, gently stroking them and could feel his big, strong body shiver.

It was more than he could bear, he could hardly breathe and slowly lowered his head.His lips found hers, he kissed her gently and caressed her mouth, but his desire overwhelmed him. His tongue slid wet, hot and pleading over her lower lip, and when she opened her mouth willingly, they sank into a long, deep and passionate kiss. Her fingers reached into his hair again, she was holding his head, and Sidney could hardly resist the urge to lay himself completely on her.Instead, his hand wrapped around her full, heavy breast again, causing her to rose up and moan into his mouth.

"Charlotte ...".His dark voice sounded desperate, his eyes searched for hers, but she bent her head back and showed him her long, seductive neck. It was impossible not to do it.

Sidney lovingly let his open mouth slide down her neck, sipping her sweet, fragrant skin as his hand tightened around her breast and lifted it up towards his face from below.

The sight of her stiff, rosy nipple was beautiful and absolutely sensual.Charlotte could feel his hot breath on her skin, she knew he was looking at her breast, but she wasn't uncomfortable. It caused a pull and an unknown pain inside her that made her whimper his name.

"Sidney ...".

The sound of her saying his name triggered something in him that he had long ignored.

It was love he felt for her - absolute, real love.

Slowly his head dropped further, his lips reached her nipple and closed around it with a tenderness that almost made Charlotte cry.She heard him moan softly, felt his soft lips sip on her, but then she felt the tip of his tongue.Sidney gently and slowly licked wet circles around her sweet bud, enjoyed her hoarse groan, and then closed his lips again to gently suck her nipple into his mouth.

Her body reared up, she pressed her breast into his face and to support her, Sidney put his hand under her to lay on her back with his fingers spread.When he heard her voice again, which was moaning his name this time, he lifted his head for a moment to look at her now wet nipple.

"I have never heard you say my first name before," he murmured softly, his lips brushing the valley between her breasts.

"I apologize ...".There wasn't a clear thought in Charlotte's head, her voice was barely audible, but she felt Sidney looking up at her.

"No ..., don't." With the deep growl of his voice, she forced herself to meet his eyes and gasped."I love the sound of it ..., please don't stop saying it, Charlotte."

She watched his eyes slide back to her breasts, but when his tongue traced the swelling, her head dropped back and her mouth opened with a loud, shaky groan. He gently sucked as much of her soft flesh into his mouth as he could before licking his tongue over her nipple again.

He tried everything to prevent himself from sliding further down with his mouth, but failed.Her hands gripped his hair as he slid his stubble and lips down her ribs, his hand caressed her slim belly as his thumb reached the edge of her shirt.The deeper he got, the more he could smell her.The need to taste her scent on his tongue was overwhelming, but the trembling of her body stopped him.

He couldn't go on, he had to stop and pressed his face against her navel with a rough, desperate growl.He inhaled her scent deeply and slowly, fighting the craving in his body and forcing himself to ignore the painful pulsation of his hard cock.

"Make me stop, Charlotte, ... please."

She couldn't - couldn't move because her whole body was burning from his touch. All she could do was pull his hair until he gave in, climbed over her body, and put all his weight on her. Charlotte gasped when she felt a hard, huge bulge on her thigh and wondered if this spot could relieve the burning tingling between her legs. But Sidney seemed to realize that she could feel him, turned his hips away from her, and hid his face against her neck.

For a brief moment, he allowed himself to feel her so completely underneath himself before rising to his knees again.He carefully covered her body with her shirt, watched regretfully as her breasts were hidden from his eyes again, but couldn't resist putting his lips on her delicate clavicle again.Then he lifted her into his arms, got up and slowly carried her to his bed.

Not once had she looked away from his face. She couldn't say exactly what the expression in his eyes meant, even if it made her heart stutter. She had never felt as safe as she did in his arms, she leaned her head on his shoulder, put her hand on his chest and could have stayed there forever.

"Please forgive me..., I ... I have lost control. I have to take you back to my brother's house, my dear.I endanger your reputation ... ".

She swayed slightly when he let go of her, but his lips, pressed against her hair, calmed her. He was right. Mary would be disappointed if she knew she was here and she didn't even want to think about her parents.Still, she didn't want him to make her go, she wanted to stay here with him and curl up in his bed.

His steps were hesitant and slow when he brought her her clothes, and when she got dressed he turned to the window and stared into the darkness.The rain had subsided, it had to be in the middle of the night now, and it would probably be easy to sneak with her to Trafalger House unseen.

But he wanted her to stay, his whole being ached to curl up in bed with her and hold her, but he wasn't allowed to.

Not yet .....

Since he knew the town well, it was really easy to lead it to the staff entrance of his parents' house unseen.He had wrapped her in his big coat so she wouldn't get wet and to hide her, but the sight of her in his clothesalmost made him carry her back to his room. 

At the door, which was always unlocked, he put both hands on her cheeks and raised her head to his. Their eyes met, both could see that they didn't want to say goodbye, but they had no other choice.

"Good night, Charlotte. I will ... I can't wait to see you tomorrow. But now you have to sleep. We may have a little time at the regatta ... to be alone together ...," muttered Sidney half choked. She looked so beautiful, so wonderfully disheveled and he gently lowered his lips to hers. 

What started slowly deepened as he slid his tongue over the inside of her lower lip, but when she whimpered, he pulled back reluctantly. It was night, but they were unprotected outside his brother's house.

Charlotte clung to his hair, didn't want his mouth to leave hers, and held onto him. He kissed her again, stroked her face, but then laid his forehead on hers, breathing heavily.

"You have to go ... before I lose myself completely." Sidney gently pushed her to the door, took his coat from her shoulders and returned her shy smile as she opened the old wooden door.

"Good night, Sidney," she whispered softly, causing him to tremble all over. He watched her silently until she was gone and then returned to his hotel room. 

The rest of the night he spent in an armchair by the fireplace, staring at the flames. Again and again he fell asleep briefly, dreamed of her warmth and then woke up startled without her.

He knew with absolute certainty what he had to do, and when the sun rose on the horizon, he sat down at his desk with paper and pen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately the devil will be present at the regatta ... 😉


	3. Jealousy and doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... the day of the regatta ...
> 
> I really hope you like my idea of it 😊.

Unable to sleep, Charlotte had got up at dawn to get dressed for the day. The experiences of the last night played continuously in her mind. So she had to get busy - needed to do something and went for a walk to watch the final preparations down by the river. Several tents had been set up, some to serve food and drinks, others to escape the sun and it looked really great.

To distract herself further, she also walked to the beach to inspect the children's sandcastle competition area, but her thoughts kept returning to the previous night.

She still felt his hands on her skin, his lips and tongue caressing her breasts and his mouth kissing her lips.The memory alone was overwhelming and triggered a painful desire in her body - a desire for him.

Did he feel the same as she did? Was he thinking of her and how would he treat her as soon as he saw her today?

She was nervous and worried in equal parts and didn't know how to deal with her feelings.She knew what had happened was absolutely indecent, but she still felt it was right.At least it had felt right for her ... as if they had an invisible bond between them. But did he feel the same connection?

Uneasy, she made her way back to town.She had promised Henry, Alicia, and Jenny to have breakfast with them and then help them build their sandcastle. At least that would hopefully distract her from a handsome, broad-shouldered man she had no idea what he thought of her - and maybe from her aching heart that longed so much to be near him.

But as soon as she approached Trafalger House, she could see him standing in front of the hotel.He was not alone, there was none other than Mrs. Campion on his arm and Charlotte's heart stuttered painfully.The pretty woman from his past stood far too close to his side, laughed at him cheerfully, and had even raised her other hand to his shoulder.

The sting inside of her was almost unbearable, which is why Charlotte hastily averted her gaze and disappeared inside the impressive Parker House as quickly as she could.

~

It was just getting light when Sidney left his hotel room - freshly washed and properly dressed.He had tried harder than usual, deliberately choosing dark clothes, and carefully placing his hat on his head.He had laughed at himself for being so ridiculous, but he wanted to look good - for her ...

The letter he had written that morning was safely stowed in his coat pocket, and he put his hand over it to make sure it was really there.

The imprint of the package under the fabric calmed him, and he quickly went down to the lobby to send it off.He would only be reassured when he had paid for the letter to be sent safely and knew that it would leave the town by stagecoach today. He had had to think hard to remember the exact addresses, but when he had taken several letters from Trafalger House some time ago to send them from the hotel, he had seen it on an envelope.

A letter never seemed so important, but the content of it - or rather the answer to it he hoped for, would determine the rest of his life.

His next point of contact was Georgiana.

The reason Charlotte came to him that night was because she had spent time with his ward and he was very grateful to her for that. The problem was that he didn't want to tell Georgiana that Charlotte was telling him about the letter Otis had written to her, so it was a little difficult to address the issue.

However, his considerations were completely unnecessary, since she didn't want to see him anyway. Georgiana refused to open her door, but in a muffled voice she promised him through the thick wood not to do anything stupid. Sidney had to settle for now, he had no other option - except kicking the door

When he walked along the busy streets a short time later, he felt as light and full of anticipation as probably never before.With his eyes fixed on his brother's house, all he could think of was a person who would be in it and whom he absolutely wanted to see - must see. He had to speak to her. About what had happened, about .... 

He had to tell her what he felt for her.What she meant to him ...

He was near the hotel when a voice stopped him.

"Sidney, good morning." With a frowning face, Eliza came up to him and immediately grabbed his arm without asking for permission."I was waiting for you to pick me up for breakfast, but you didn't show up.I hope you haven't forgotten that you wanted to spend the day with me?"

Taking a deep breath, Sidney stiffened. Her floral perfume tickled his nose and her grasp was strong.He turned his head a little to get some fresh air when his eyes caught Charlotte, who was slowly coming up the street.

Had she been to the beach this morning?Her hair was tousled by the wind, she looked adorable, and the corner of Sidney's mouth unconsciously twisted into a small smile.

"Sidney, are you listening to me?" Eliza followed his gaze in annoyance and froze. "Isn't that your brother's little governess? So she's really a very pretty girl, but unfortunately a little too curvy. She doesn't really suit us as members of the London high society, but she does fit perfectly into the rural area of Sanditon."

Laughing, Eliza moved so that she pressed firmly to his side and raised her free hand to brush a fake lint off his shoulder.She was too close, her laugh too loud, and Sidney looked down at her in anger.

"Her name is Miss Charlotte Heywood, it is truly inappropriate to call her curvy or a pretty girl.She is the daughter of a gentleman and a guest of Tom and Mary for the summer, not the governess of the children.” His voice was tense and deep.

Eliza's smile faltered a bit before turning away from him and stroking her dress a little nervously.It was a robe made of pure silk and clearly showed her social position.She didn't need anyone to talk to her like that, but Sidney had always been beautiful and mysterious and she wanted him back.She would crush this country girl between her fingertips and not lose sight of her goal for today.

And her goal was Sidney Parker.

The latter, however, was furious with the insult and was glad that Charlotte had not heard these words.When he looked in her direction again, he only saw her white skirts disappear and he sighed deeply.

"Please excuse me, Eliza, I have a few more things with Tom ...".In the middle of the sentence she interrupted him and laughed again.

"You will hardly leave me here alone, Sidney.I'm here at your invitation, and Tom promised me you'd take all day to show me around this quiet little town.So show me the beach and the river, there must be something interesting here.”

Sidney gritted his teeth reluctantly.In fact, it wasn't him who invited her, but he could hardly offend her.He knew he owed Tom to treat his guests politely here, and Eliza had a lot of influence in London. So he had no choice but to lead her to the construction site of the terrace and then to the dunes on the beach.

He hoped to find Charlotte later where the sandcastle competition would take place.

—- ~ —- 

She saw the two of them coming from afar and needed everything not to show her feelings.

"Do you think we should make the trench deeper, Charlotte?" Jenny's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she released her eyes from the elegant couple.

"Maybe a little?" It was hard to concentrate on building a sandcastle, but she forced herself to do it.After all, she didn't want to disappoint the children. "We should also build a second tower. Henry, can you give me the bucket?"

Filled with pretended enthusiasm, she dedicated herself to the task of making Tom and Mary's children happy and therefore did not pay attention to who was approaching them.

Her white dress was shining in the sun and Sidney’s eyes were hanging on her from afar. How he would like to sit in the sand next to her, but Eliza insisted that he show her the bathing machines. She found them ridiculously small compared to those in Braighton, but she wanted to take a closer look. Before that, however, she needed refreshment, which is why they came here.

As the decency demanded, he went into the refreshment tent to get Mrs. Campion a drink as she strolled along the sand.

This country girl with the wild curls, on whom Sidney’s gaze was fixed as soon as they had reached the beach, was sitting in of her in the sand. This girl was a thorn in her side and she decided to annoy her a little so that she could have Sidney to herself for the rest of the day. So she walked slowly towards Charlotte and raised her eyebrows when she saw that it was covered all over with grains of sand.

“What a beautiful castle, children, it's really lovely that even the smallest were thought of at this regatta.Nobody would have expected anything more elaborate here in Sanditon than is normally the case with such events.” Eliza enjoyed watching the farmer girl flinch.

Not that she just wanted to maliciously insult her, she just wanted to make it clear where her positions in society and Sidney's affection were.She wouldn't let that half a child take away the man she wanted so badly. The children looked up cheerfully as they fortunately did not understand the indirect insult.

But Charlotte understood, and she suddenly felt stupid as she sat on the ground with her hair open and covered with sand.

"You must be Miss Heywood, am I right?" Asked Eliza with a sweet smile. "How nice of the parkers to take in a young girl like you. Sidney told me that you are a summer guest before you return to your home.”

Charlotte didn't know what to answer.Sidney must have spoken to this woman about herself, but why? Mrs. Campion didn't seem to be expecting an answer as she turned to face Sidney when he came up to them with a glass of wine in hand.

"Oh, my dear Sidney, how well you know me. Thank you.” With an exaggerated smile, she took the glass from his hand, immediately put her other arm through his and stood right next to him.

Restlessly and worriedly, Sidney looked from Eliza to Charlotte. 

Her face was confused, her forehead showed the deep furrow she always had when something bothered her and she avoided looking at him.When he saw Eliza talking to her, his heart started racing, but he couldn't get over there quickly enough. He didn't get to say anything - he didn't even know what to say.

"Do you like our Sandcastle, Uncle Sidney?" Jenny got up, had her hands in her sides and looked at him questioningly.

"Of course, dear, it's an impressive building." Sidney leaned down briefly to stroke Henry over the head and to place one of the shells that they had collected on the tallest tower. In doing so, Eliza's hand slipped from his arm and he could see Charlotte's eyes staring at this very spot.

"I'm going to show Mrs. Campion the bathing machines, but should I accompany you to the river afterwards, Charlotte? It still has to be checked whether everything is prepared at the launch site."

Sidney’s intention was to have time alone with her, but when he straightened up, Eliza put her hand on his upper arm again.

"I'm sure Miss Heywood will find her way to the river alone, Sidney." She laughed and looked down at Charlotte as if she doubted her own statement.“You have to accompany me back to the town around noon.I heard in London that Lady Worcester would also like to take part in this regatta - for whatever reason - and I have to welcome her. I just want to remind you that she has high connections, as you know for sure."

Eliza was already starting to pull him towards the beach, but Sidney stopped.His eyes were fixed on Charlotte, who was still avoiding him and still staring at the slender hand on his arm.

"Erm, ... I ...," he began to speak, but Charlotte suddenly pulled herself out of her rigid and cleared her throat.

"I'll check the launch site, Mr. Parker.You don't have to worry about that.” With her eyes on the sandcastle, she couldn't see Sidney wince. 

Why hadn't she used his first name too?It would have shown Eliza that they were close to each other - now it looked more like he was seeing her like half a child or like one of the employees.

Frustrated by the course of the day and hurt that she hadn't looked at him once, he abruptly turned and led Eliza down the beach. He had to get out of her company to think clearly and finally speak to Charlotte alone.

It was only when Charlotte saw Sidney turn from the corner of her eye that she looked up at his broad back.Her whole body ached as if she had been hit and she barely managed to hold back her tears. To see him with this woman, who called him " _my dear_ " or " _Sidney_ ", who touched him all the time and whom he brought drinks, was more painful than she ever thought possible. The strange feeling that burned inside her that she couldn't name seemed to eat her up.

Had what happened last night meant anything to him?

Her head was swimming with too many thoughts and she wanted to hide somewhere.But then she remembered how he asked if he should accompany her to the river and what his voice sounded like when he said her name. Why hadn't she just accepted his offer?

She was still watching him and could see from a distance how tense his body was.She just had to believe what he told her yesterday - that he had no intention of reconnecting with Mrs. Campion. No matter how well they seemed to fit together or how close they were to each other all the time. 

She tried to believe it. 

—- ~ —-

"Don't the two look like made for each other?"

Tom sounded really excited as he watched his brother and the woman next to him.Mary looked in the same direction, but looked far less enthusiastic, while Charlotte stubbornly looked the other way and turned her back on them.

The children and she had finished third in the sandcastle competition and Charlotte had brought the three radiant Parkers back to Trafalger House. She had met Mary and Tom on the way to the river and they would have stopped in the shade of a few trees to watch the many people and the hustle and bustle.

Eliza and Sidney just came up the path to the hill above the river, of course her arm was looped through his as she excitedly told something and he listened with his head bowed. They were really a nice couple ....

"Tom, you shouldn't make too much of a fuss about them.Remember how bad Sidney was when he left England after Eliza's wedding.” Mary patted her husband's arm soothingly, which had a bright smile on his face, and looked then worriedly at Charlotte, who had turned pale.

"They haven't seen each other for a very long time ... . Feelings and affections can change over the years ...," Charlotte murmured softly, couldn't help looking over her shoulder in the direction of the two and frowned.

"Oh no, dear Charlotte. Feelings as deep as these two shared don't change.” Tom sounded determined and audibly satisfied.“A love that has existed for over a decade never dies. Eliza Campion has been widowed for more than a year, she is a beautiful woman - just the kind of woman my brother has always wanted and she is very rich. I am sure Sidney will soon make her his wife. I think even this summer, just wait.”

Tom's words struck her like a blow and her inside became icy cold.

But she didn't have enough time to say goodbye to the group because she felt his presence behind her.Shuddering and breathing heavily, she forced her tears back and tensed.

"The lovely Mrs. Campion and my dear brother, what a beautiful picture." Tom enthusiastically raised his arms to greet the couple and Charlotte took a few steps to the side. Again she didn't see Sidney freeze, but she heard Eliza's happy laugh.

"Tom ...," Sidney began in a tense voice, but was interrupted again

"That's exactly it, isn't it?It is truly a pleasure to be led by your strong arms again, Sidney.It's a long way from the beach to here."

Sidney felt like he couldn't stand it any longer.He had to be alone with Charlotte - now. 

She had stood with her back to him when they came up the hill, and now she had taken a few steps back as if she were not part of the group. He wanted to reach for her, wanted to feel her arm in the crook of his arm and her small, supple body against his, but he was trapped.

Trapped in his past.

"Please, let's go to the river together, there are refreshments and something to eat," smiling Tom pointed with his hand the other way and grabbed Mary's arm, but his wife stopped and looked at Charlotte.

"The tents were Charlotte's idea and it looks really adorable, doesn't it, dear?" Charlotte forced a smile at Mary's kind words, but wrapped her arms around her at the same time. She felt completely out of place. 

"Miss Heywood ...".Suddenly she heard a voice behind her and turned with relief.It didn't matter who it was who wanted something from her, as long as she could disappear. It was James Stringer who came up to her smiling.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stringer," she greeted him with forced cheerfulness when he reached her."Are you ready for the race?"

"Mr.Parker, Mrs. Parker, ... ...," James raised his hat in a friendly manner, bowed slightly to Eliza and gave Sidney a short nod before smiling at Charlotte again. "Certainly.I've been rowing on this river all my life.But Fred wants me to look at the boats to find the best strategy for us. Would you like to accompany me to the starting point?"

Charlotte could literally feel two dark eyes boring into her back, but it was a good opportunity to escape the company of Tom and Mrs. Campion and she nodded in relief.

"Yes very much.I have to check that everything is ready anyway."

Her answer made Sidney’s heart skip a few beats and his blood roared in his ears.She had previously refused to accept his offer to accompany her to the starting point, but now she did accept Stringer's offer? His jaw ached, his teeth clenched hard as he stared at her back.

"Oh, you don't need a strategy, Mr. Stringer." Tom teased cheerfully and winked at his foreman. "You should practice a little more to have a chance against the Parker brothers."

Everyone laughed - everyone except Sidney and Charlotte.

Eliza, who noticed her companion's burning look at the younger woman and could feel how tense his body was next to hers, couldn't help but interfere.

“There is still a little time until the race.Perhaps the young gentleman should invite dear Charlotte on a little boat trip so that he can get used to the oars.”

It was an innocent proposal, but the meaning behind it was clear.Two unaccompanied young people in a rowboat would be inappropriate unless there was a promise behind it.

However, James was not used to the etiquette in London and accepted the proposal with thanks."It would be a pleasure for me, Miss Heywood. Or are you afraid of the water?"

Ashamed of all the attention, Charlotte blushed.She looked up to meet Mrs. Campion's eyes and saw the challenge in it.What did this woman want from her?

But she had to answer something, everyone looked at her, which is why she forced herself to laugh a little."No, I can row myself and I'm certainly not afraid of the water."

"Just don't show him triks to defeat us Charlotte," joked Tom, and then turned away from the two."Enjoy the time until the race, it's such a wonderful day."

All Sidney could think of was her in a boat with Stringer.It had been his plan, but the whole day seemed to be cursed.He watched her, completely frozen, as she and Stringer disappeared through the trees to go in the opposite direction to the one that Eliza's arm led him to.His whole inside seemed to be seething and Sidney knew what it was that was raging in him, even though he had never felt it so strongly in his life.

It was all consuming jealousy .... 

"Sidney, darling, look. As I said, Lady Worcester has arrived.” Eliza's shrill voice tore him out of his thoughts, reluctantly he lifted his eyes from where Charlotte's white dress had just disappeared and saw in front of him the woman he had just seen in London a few days ago

"What an honor to see you here in Sanditon, my lady, what an honor." Tom was already pouncing on the elegant lady, closely followed by Eliza.

"Lady Susan, how surprised I was to hear that you would also come here to Sanditon." Eliza beamed all over her face as if she and Lady Worcester were close friends, but Lady Susan’s raised eyebrow proved otherwise."May I introduce you to the Parker brothers?They are my dearest friends and as good as my family."

"No need, Mrs. Campion," Susan replied coolly, giving her a meaningful look before turning to Sidney with a smile."Mr. Parker and I are already known, aren't we?”

Sidney bowed politely and grimaced in a tight smile."Quite, my lady.It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Oh no, call me Susan. I was hoping to find the lovely Charlotte who told me about this event so enthusiastically, Sidney ..., may I call you Sidney?"

Susan could see a muscle twitch in the young man's jaw in front of her and his gaze wandered the other way for a moment.But he quickly got himself under control and smiled at her, if not with genuine warmth.

"Of course. Miss ..., Miss Heywood controls the starting point of the race," he said tensely."I'm sure she'll be back soon and will be happy to see you, Susan."

Eliza looked from one to the other in confusion.How could it be that the infamous Lady Susan knew this young girl?

"I don't think she'll be back so soon, Sidney.If this handsome young man takes her on the river, they'll be out for a while.” Satisfied, Eliza saw Sidney take a sharp breath and how his face contorted before she smiled at Susan. “I think half of London is down by the river.Who would have thought that ... . You must need some refreshment, Susan."

"Come on, ladys, we took care of everything.Let me show you the most beautiful way along the river, because not only the sea has its advantages in Sanditon, no, our river is also of absolute beauty." Tom smiled brightly and enjoyed his role as host, handing his arm to Susan, who accepted it with an amused smile, and led her down the path to the river.

"Sidney, come on, let us not have to wait for you." Tom didn't bother to make his command sound friendly, but called the words over his shoulder to his brother.

Reluctantly and annoyed, Sidney felt Eliza pull on his arm again. He could hardly think clearly, wanted to run after Charlotte, but her rejection and behavior towards him also made him angry. So he gave in and let himself be led. At least he had to be polite ... 

~ 

"Aren't you feeling well, Miss Heywood?" James looked at her carefully andsaw that Charlotte was torn from her own thoughts. "You're very pale today and you haven't said a word since we left the Parkers."

Charlotte could feel her cheeks turn red again and thoughtfully kneaded the fabric of her dress in her hands.

"Please forgive me, Mr. Stringer, I didn't sleep very well.The whole organization of the regatta probably made me a little nervous ... ".It was an excuse, but she hoped he would believe it.

"Is it true what is said in half the town?" James looked at her questioningly, but Charlotte frowned in confusion."That this elegant woman and Mr. Parker - I mean, Mr. Sidney Parker - are practically engaged?"

With a sigh, Charlotte walked a little faster.She really didn't want to know about the gossip in the town and she certainly didn't want to think of an engagement between Sidney and Mrs. Campion.

"As far as I know, that's not Mr. Parker's intention.He accompanies her out of kindness and because he is doing his brother a favor, nothing more ...,” she said firmly and James' heart sank.

The way her voice trembled when she said the other man's name and how she spoke about him told him that she felt something for the elusive Parker brother.

"Miss Heywood, I've always seen ourselves as friends - maybe a little more than that ... on my side. But I'm not blind and can accept if I've lost." James hesitated, stopped Charlotte and looked at her honestly. "I just want to ask you to be careful."

Despite everything, Charlotte had to smile.A real friend stood in front of her and it warmed her heart that he seemed really worried about her.

"Thank you, Mr. Stringer.I really appreciate our friendship, but you don't need to be worried about me,” slowly she turned and started walking again. "I'm afraid I've lost my heart, but there's nothing I can do.I hardly stand a chance against a woman like Mrs. Campion.”

James followed her, frowning and knowing whom she had lost her heart to. "If he doesn't know you are worth so much more than she, he may never have looked at you properly." 

Oh yes, Charlotte thought. He had looked at her like no man or other person before him.

"I think he did ...," she murmured softly, a little ashamed to speak so frankly about her feelings. "I think ..., maybe it's just difficult to break away from a past that is suddenly omnipresent."

She smiled sheepishly at Mr. Stringer, who gave her a nod before walking on in silence.

“Do you still allow me to take you on a small boat ride on the lake?It might distract you from your thoughts for a while.” He meant it in a friendly manner.Of course, he had hoped for more in secret, but had noticed from the start that Charlotte's kindness was based only on friendship.He had to accept it, as he said, but he wanted to support her and at least cheer her up.

"That would surely be very nice ..." she laughed joyfully, at least it would keep her out of Mr. Campion's company.

~

"Something seems to be bothering you? I think when I saw you dancing in London you even laughed. Today you are just brooding."

Sidney reluctantly took his eyes off the boat that was rocking leisurely down the river. There she sat - Charlotte. Together with James Stringer.

As soon as he saw her, his heart felt like it was tearing apart. She was his, but she was in a rowboat with another man.

Not knowing what to say, he said nothing, but the look in his eyes was enough for Lady Susan. She knew exactly what was going on inside him.

“Jealousy has never been a feeling to give in to.A young woman with no experience may not be able to handle it and misunderstand your behavior.” Susan spoke softly and watched every emotion on Sidney’s face.She had seen the group earlier on the hill from afar and had seen Sidney's body cramp when Charlotte had spoken to the other young man. While he was staring at the boat now, his eyes were almost black with anger and rage as he breathed quickly and tense.

Susan had to suppress a smile.This man seemed to be completely lost, but trapped in the bonds of decency and his duties.

"She may only see what is obvious, and you must admit, Sidney, that it can be confusing to be confronted with two apparently closely related people all day."

A muscle twitched in Sidney’s cheek, his brow furrowed, and his eyes wandered back on the river. He didn't even want to think about why this strange woman seemed so knowledgeable about his feelings - he found that he didn't care.

"I told her I am only doing my duty to my brother by accompanying Mrs. Campion today." Unable to keep the tense and harsh tone out of his voice, he took a deep breath to calm down.

"Is that what you do? Can I tell you what I see?" Susan asked curiously and raised an eyebrow. "I see Mrs. Campion practically treating you as her property, and she behaves much more like your fiance than your guest."

As if sensing that they were talking about her, Eliza slowly approached them and put her hand possessively on his forearm.

"It's really lovely here, isn't it?But aren't you missing London as much as I am, Sidney?" Eliza spoke in a sweet voice that sent a cold shiver down his spine "Perhaps you could even accompany me back this evening, the trip would be so much more comfortable near you.”

Sidney could almost feel Susan looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and suddenly he realized that Eliza had spoken to him this way all day.As if they were engaged ...

With a petrified face, he took a step back, causing her hand to slide off his arm and cleared his throat."Mrs. Campion, it would be rather inappropriate to accompany you back to London alone in your carriage, and I don't want to leave Sanditon at the moment. I'm afraid you have to leave without me.”

Eliza's expression grew angry, but Sidney took a step back."Please excuse me now, the race will start soon ...".

He turned hastily, took long steps down the path towards the starting point and hoped to be able to speak to Charlotte for only a moment, but was disappointed. The calls from Mr. Crowe and Lord Babington greeted him from afar, and also Mr. Stringer's team was already there.

"Parker, we thought you wouldn't be able to part with your lady at all," cried Crowe, who was visibly drunk and Sidney got even more angry.

"Be careful what you say, Crowe," he growled, looking around.

She was sitting at a table near the shore, writing something on a list.She had taken off her blue spencer, leaned slightly over the table, and Sidney could see part of the swelling of her beautiful, milky white breasts. 

But when he saw it, everyone else could see it, too, and he had an urgent desire to cover her with his big coat.

"You are staring, Sidney." Babington suddenly whispered in his ear, making him flinch."Why do you spend the day with Mrs. Campion when you can hardly take your eyes off Miss Heywood?"

"Because I seem to be an stupid idiot ...," he replied in a harsh growl, bit his lower lip and searched for a smoke in his coat pocket.He would burst if his blood didn't stop pumping through his veins so quickly ...

Charlotte could determine the exact moment when Sidney approached the launch site.When she felt his eyes on her, she shivered, but didn't dare to look up at him.

The night before, she had felt so protected and admired by him, and now she knew nothing at all.She waited nervously for all the gentlemen to board their boats, but Sidney was still standing on the bank.He spoke to Arthur and smoked, which somehow made him look mysterious and very attractive.He kept staring in her direction, and just as Charlotte was about to meet his eyes openly, Mr. Stringer called again to her.

"Do you wish us luck, Miss Heywood?" He asked with a grin. He could see Sidney literally devouring her with his eyes and wanted to annoy the man a little.He liked the middle Parker brother, but didn't want to leave the field quietly. "Actually, your rowing skills are much better than Fred's, maybe you should rather row with me."

Charlotte laughed a little uneasily, got up and came closer to the workers' boat.“You exaggerate, I would hardly be of much use to you in a race.But I wish you the best of luck, Mr. Stringer.”

Winking, pleased with how angry Sidney Parker was, James moved his boat into the middle of the lake.

She wished him luck?

Boiling with rage, Sidney practically tore his coat and vest off his shoulders and followed Arthur, who clumsily got into their boat.

"Do you have any advice, Sidney?The workers look really determined.” Tom looked at him questioningly as he jumped into the boat, but grimaced at the angry expression on Sidney’s face.

"Why, _for God's sake_ , do I need to give an advice? I'm out of luck no matter what I do today, so just row and give me some peace.” His answer made his two brothers gasp in amazement, but he didn't care.

He could still see her out of the corner of his eye - her white dress, her waving curls, and the soft skin exposed by the deep neckline of her dress.He wished she would dress herself with her Spencer again, the sight of her cleavage was unbearable for him, but he couldn't look away either.

It was only when she turned to collect her things that Sidney concentrated on the feeling of the oars in his hands.He didn't care if they would win the race or not ... it was definitely not what he wanted.

Should she have wished him luck too?

Charlotte had been confused by the anger on Sidney's face and had therefore been silent.She wished that day was over and she could curl up somewhere, but it was just after noon.

After the starting shot echoed in her ear, she watched Sidney’s body move with the effort. His shirt was too wide so she couldn't see his muscles working, but she knew they were there. After a short time the boats were in the first curve and she went with steady steps, but without hurry to the main area of the regatta.

As she approached the cheering crowd, she could see that Sindeys and Mr. Stringer's boat were at the front, the other two having collided and been eliminated.But it was Mr. Stringer who crossed the line with a small lead and she was genuinely happy for the workers.

Since she didn't want to meet Mrs. Campion in any way, she stayed in the background, but after the award ceremony was over and the men brought the boats back to the starting point, she was too careless. 

"How was your boat trip with the handsome young man, Miss Heywood ...?"

Startled, Charlotte turned in the small refreshment tent in which she had tried to hide and found herself facing Mrs. Campion directly.The elegant woman looked down at her and raised her eyebrows. It made her look like a shrew.

"Mrs. Campion ...,” Charlotte smiled gently, though forcedly, but did not answer the question.

"You two seem to fit very well together. A cute country girl and a foreman. You know, when I saw you dancing with Sidney in London, the social differences were pretty noticeable."

The open insult left Charlotte speechless. What had she ever done to this woman to be treated like that? She straightened her shoulders angrily and stubbornly raised her head.

"You are right, Mrs. Campion, I come from the country.But my father is a gentleman and you have no right to insult me. ”

Eliza took a little step closer."I don't want to insult you, Miss Heywood.I just want to point out who you are and that you are certainly not the kind of woman a man like Sidney Parker needs or wants. I can see how you look at him, but you are a family guest and I think it is only your job to support the Parkers and help them as much as possible. Sidney will return to London with me today, where he is at home. So I advise you to leave him alone.”

Charlotte didn't have a chance to respond because Lady Susan appeared behind Mrs. Campion at that moment.

"My dear Charlotte, how nice it is to have finally found you." With a radiant smile, she took the confused-looking young woman in her arms. "You've been busy all day, but would you like to take a few steps with me?"

"Susan ...," Charlotte smiled, not knowing she was here."I didn't know you actually came. We probably missed each other all the time."

Susan ignored Eliza and led Charlotte towards the river.It was clear to see that the conversation between the two had not been very friendly, so she stroked her arm worriedly."I hope Mrs. Campion didn't insult you. She can be very condescending and unfriendly. But ..., she only does it because she feels threatened by you - which she is obviously right about.”

"I am not threatening her, I have done nothing to her ...".Charlotte was still trying to hold back her tears. She was so exhausted and confused.

"Oh, you haven't seen a particular man watching you in a special way." With a smile, Susan raised her eyebrows when Charlotte blushed deeply and looked at her feet.

"Apparently he'll be accompanying her back to London today, so you must have been wrong, Susan.I'm just a farmer's daughter, what should I have to offer a man like him.” Now tears came to her eyes and doubts flooded her.

"My dear girl, I know what I see and you shouldn't believe everything that is said. Trust your heart, Charlotte and listen to what it has to say to you." 

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte looked around and saw Sidney with Mrs. Campion and his brother in the refreshment tent. He seemed tense - like all day - and his eyes seemed to be looking for someone.

"At the moment it's hard for me to understand what it has to say." She smiled apologetically at Susan, but she had to get out of this crowd, otherwise she would fall apart."Please forgive me, Susan, but I think I need a little distance from all these people."

Susan nodded understandingly, said goodbye to this impressive young woman and watched her leave on the path along the river.

Love was something special, it was the only feeling that could cause untold happiness and abysmal pain all at once.

"I already said it, Mrs. Campion. I have no intention of going back to London today or in the near future.” Sidney was slowly losing patience, which earned him an angry look from Tom. But at that point he didn't care and his eyes went back to searching the crowd.

He couldn't find her anywhere.

But Mr. Stringer was also nowhere to be seen, so the jealousy inside him was slowly taking control of his actions. He exhaled sharply and then turned to Eliza.

"Eliza ...," for a moment his expression softened, as if he was remembering something. But then a deep furrow formed between his eyebrows and he seemed sure of what he had to say.

"I would like to thank you for your invitation and request to see me again. But I think the time that has passed since we last got to know each other has left its mark. It would be wrong to pretend that nothing has changed since then. Because things have changed ... I have changed.”

Eliza grimaced reluctantly at his words as Tom breathed in angrily, but Sidney was tired of pretending. "I wish you all the best - I do. But I ask you to leave me in peace for the future. Now please excuse me, I have to go."

With a little bow, he turned to see Lady Susan's broad grin as she was standing right behind him and hastily left the tent. He could hear Tom calling his name but didn't pay attention.

Where was she?

If this guy was with her again, if ...

Sidney was in a fog, walked past the stalls, and then ran up the hill to get a better view of the area - but her white dress was nowhere to be seen.

Then a thought hit him where she might be and his blood went cold. Only the memory of the picture of her together with Stringer in this rowboat was enough for him to completely lose his composure.

He started running as if out of his senses. He had to find Charlotte ......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love all of your comments and am very grateful to everyone who writes to me ❤️.


	4. To make us one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse the long wait ...  
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I think you all know the rating for this story - it's an E.

His steps were quick with anger and jealousy, he breathed heavily and his hands were clenched into fists.If he found her with him he would have no idea what he was going to do.

He just knew he was going to go crazy.

When he approached the place where the race started, he couldn't see her anywhere. Had she walked back to town with Stringer?His heart ached at the thought and his steps became even faster.

The preparation tent was empty, but a quick glance showed that only two of the boats brought here had oars. Sidney hurriedly ran up the hill to an old shed where the oars and other important things were kept. 

He heard sounds from inside as he approached.But knowing that the oars were too heavy for Charlotte to carry them here, he assumed Stringer was with her.

His temper boiled over, his anger flooded him and with a loud bang he pushed open the door of the shed.

Deep in thought, Charlotte had tried to put the oars on the shelves, but she was too small.Her tears obstructed her view, angrily she tried to raise the oars above her head when the door behind her was pushed open violently and crashed into the wall.

Startled, she cried out, dropped the oars - which fell to the floor behind her - and turned hastily. It was Sidney standing in the door like a giant, breathing hard, and his face was dark with anger.

The sight made Charlotte tremble - not because she was afraid of him - but because he looked really impressiv.

After the race he had only put on his vest again, no coat, no hat, and his sleeves were rolled up.

It took a moment for his eyes to get used to the darkness of the room, but he had clearly seen her trying to lift the heavy oars over her head.Anger mixed with worry, which made his question sound harsher and more dismissive than intended.

"What are you doing here?"

His voice was like a dark growl and Charlotte hated herself for her body's reaction to it - everything began to tingle inside her, almost to ache, and her heart skipped a few beats. It was so shameful, especially since she could see he was angry, which is why she turned away from him and bent down to grab the oars again.

"I'm putting away the oars, what do you think I'm doing?" She said dismissively, although she couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice. "I was told I was here to support the Parker family, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now."

Sidney grimaced at her answer.His eyes were still searching the small room for Stringer, so his brain couldn't quite take her words.

"This is hardly the right task for you, and it is certainly not what you are here for. Where ... where did he go?” Slowly he took a step closer to her, but stopped when she turned to him with angry eyes.

"Oh please, do you think I'm too weak to clean up the oars?I'm not a lady like your companion of the day, I'm just a farmer's daughter.So you don't have to waste thoughts on me ... ".

Offended by his words, she tried to raise the oars over her head again and shivered when she suddenly felt him right behind her.His hands reached over her shoulders, grabbed the oars, and lifted them up to throw them on the shelf with a loud noise.

"What are you talking about, Charlotte. You treat me like a stranger ..., why are you doing this?” His voice was right at her ear - dark and tense and he sounded almost desperate.Charlotte's breath quickened when she could smell his scent and felt the heat from him on her back.

"What am I doing?I don't do anything ...,” she whispered in a husky voice. Refusing to turn to him, she stared stubbornly at her hands.

But Sidney couldn't hold back any longer. His feelings overwhelmed him, her closeness clouded his brain and his jealousy consumed him. The worst events of the day came back to him, which made him burst.

"You don't do anything?" He hissed darkly and roughly. "You went for a walk with him, Charlotte. And as if that wasn't enough, you were all alone in a damn boat with him. You smiled at him, laughed with him and you ignored me all day. You wished him luck and haven't even looked at me once ... ”, the words gushed out of him without him being able to stop himself. Charlotte could clearly hear how hurt he sounded and turned to him in disbelief.

He was standing right in front of her, his eyes black and intense, his hands clenched into fists and his whole body as tense as a bowstring before the shot.He had to talk about James Stringer, but why?

"What ...?" She began to ask softly and breathlessly, but Sidney lost control when she looked at him with that furrow between her eyebrows and slightly opened lips.She was just too close, too seductive, and his hands reached out for her before he could think about it.

He slipped his hands under her arms where he cupped her sides and pushed her backwards until her back was pressed against the wooden wall of the shed.Charlotte gasped in surprise, his big strong body pressed directly into hers while she felt the hard wood behind her.His hot breath slid across her face as he leaned closer to her and his eyes released an indescribable tingling sensation inside her that made her completely breathless.

"You ..." he growled softly and with heavy breaths. For a moment he dug his teeth into his lower lip before leaning closer. "Seeing you with him is killing me. You're mine, Charlotte, mine ...".

She couldn't deny the truth of these words, but the fact that he claimed her for himself without giving himself to her made Charlotte angry.

"Yes ... yes I am yours," she cried angrily and tears of disappointment and rejection came into her eyes."But who do you belong to, Mr. Parker?"

Her tears and the fact that she didn't call him by his first name left Sidney speechless, but Charlotte misunderstood.

"I was told that the kind of love that has existed between you and Mrs. Campion for over a decade never goes away, and maybe that's the truth.You don't have to feel obligated to me, Mr. Parker, because of what ...,” Charlotte hesitated, she couldn't even think about his hotel room without blushing.His hands on her sides burned her skin through the fabric of her dressand she cleared her throat."I heard several times today who you belong to, so you don't have to pretend otherwise." 

Her words cut his heart like cold steel.

Did she really think he was just pretending to be attracted to her? Who had she spoken to who told her such nonsense?

Her sadness was unbearable to him and his jealousy and anger disappeared completely.All that was left was tenderness and love and he searched for her eyes.

"I belong to you, Charlotte," he whispered in a rough voice and could feel her shiver."I am completely and absolutely yours. I wrote to your father this morning that it is my intention to visit him soon. I wrote that I would ask him for your hand inmarriage - If it hadn't been for the regatta today, I would have ridden to see him last night." 

Overwhelmed by what he said, Charlotte frowned and tried to breathe. Was it the truth?

"But you spent the whole day with her.She has ...".

When Sidney’s face came closer to hers and she saw his eyes slide to her lips, Charlotte stopped again.

"I told you that it was my duty to do that, nothing more." Sidney swallowed. Had she been as jealous as he had been? The thought made his heart race faster and he felt hot.

Only now, when his anger was gone and his thoughts cleared, did he realize how close he was to her.He felt her full breasts against his chest, the heat of her small body, which he pressed against the wall with his, and her warm breath on his face.

"Whatever she said or did was not the truth, and I'm sorry I didn't prevent her from insulting you.I saw you in the boat with Stringer before the race and ...., and I completely went mad with jealousy.” He could only whisper, he was no longer able to do more.

Charlotte finally understood what he had just said.He had written to her father?He was hers?

The look on his face was almost desperate with tenderness, his eyes lovingly sliding over her face as his hands moved slowly up and down over her sides. Unable to hold back, Charlotte raised her own hands and gently pushed her fingers into his dark curls.

A low gasp escaped him, his eyes closed for a moment and Charlotte could not resist. Slowly, she rose to her tiptoes, gathered all the courage she had, and carefully stroked his lips with hers. Trembling with emotion, Sidney felt like his legs were giving way under him. 

She kissed him - Charlotte kissed him.

For a little while, he allowed himself to simply enjoy the feeling, but then she withdrew. Unsure of what to do - unsure because he didn't move, Charlotte moved away from him until she heard the rough, dark hum that came from Sidney and vibrated through her whole body.His lips followed hers, apparently not wanting to lose her touch, and for a moment they looked at each other panting. Charlotte's eyes were slightly blurry, only half open and her cheeks flushed. She looked adorable ...

Both felt the breath of the other on their face and when Sidney came closer, her whole, small body shivered.Now it was his lips that gently slid over hers. He sipped her lower lip gently, took it between his and let her moan softly.

His lips were so full and soft, so beautiful, and Charlotte longed to be kissed by him in the same way he had kissed her last night. So she shyly opened her mouth slightly, waited uncertainly for his reaction, and whimpered when she felt the tip of his tongue.

Sidney gently traced the outline of her lower lip, slowly increasing the pressure of his tongue so that her mouth opened wider, and then licked the inside of her lip.Her sweet taste flooded his senses, her whimper sounded loud in his ears and his need for her made him slide his tongue into her mouth.

Moaning, he searched for her tongue, found her and immediately began to caress her and wrap her with his own.Charlotte's fingers tightened on his hair as if she wanted to pull him closer. It just wasn't close enough so Sidney ran his hands down her ribs and gently wrapped them around her waist. Without effort, he lifted her up a little, pressed his hips into hers to steady her, and growled roughly.

His arousal was not to be hidden, and this time he wasn't worried that she might feel it. He wanted her to feel him, wanted her to know what she was doing to him, and heard her moan loudly into his mouth. Charlotte felt like it was burning between her legs.This time the hard part of him pressed against her middle, like she had wished it would last night, but it didn't seem to be enough. She knew that this part of him wasn't always as hard and big as now and slowly moved her hips against his.Was she the reason why he had become like this?

Sidney’s whole body shivered as she moved against him, Charlotte felt him slowly slide one hand over her dress to her butt to press her firmly against him as he put the other against her neck.

"Charlotte ..".

The way he whispered her name - breathless and hoarse - was so intimate, his lips still almost touched hers, but when she opened her eyes she realized he was looking at her.

She was so beautiful, with slightly swollen and red lips from his kiss, flushed cheeks and wild hair.Slowly, Sidney slipped his fingertips into her curls, gently tilted her head to one side, and gripped her lips in a passionate, deep kiss - he sucked on her lip, explored her mouth with his tongue, and encouraged her to do the same with him.

But when her small, careful tongue slid between his lips, while her narrow hand brushed down his neck and his broad shoulders to hesitantly slip under his vest, he almost lost control.

His desire for her ached in his body, his fingers slid over her neck in search of her beautiful breasts and gently caressed the skin of her cleavage. Her deep neckline had driven him crazy before the race and now he finally let his thumb slide between her full breasts. But her bare, hot skin was too tempting. From the deep valley, he slid his finger under the fabric over her soft flesh and searched for her nipple as he stroked the bottom of her tongue in his mouth with his.

His finger was hot and burned a path under her dress. Charlotte shivered and had to loosen her mouth from his when his thumb found her nipple.With a loud groan, she threw her head back, bent her body into his and pressed against the hard bulge in his pants.

He had never seen anything as seductive as she in his entire life. Sidney hungrily ran his lips over her pale neck, licked her skin moistly, while his thumb stroked her hard nipple and drew soft circles around it.He needed everything not to rip the dress off her, but he slipped his entire hand under her neckline and wrapped his palm around her breast.

"Sidney ...," she whimpered, causing his cock to get harder.She could feel it, the bulge in his pants seemed to enlarge and a deep need burned inside Charlotte.

"Please Sidney ..., make ..., make me yours."

He almost thought he had just imagined her words - her voice was barely audible, but he saw her cheeks turn deep red.Sidney looked at her, breathing heavily, his brow furrowed, but Charlotte bravely met his gaze.

"You said I belong to you. And that's right. I do, but I want you to _make_ me yours too."

Sidney hissed through clenched teeth as he felt her hand pull his shirt out of his pants. His body trembled when her fingers touched his hot skin, goose bumps formed all over him and his legs went weak. Could she really mean what he thought she meant with her words? 

And how was he going to be able to resist such a request?

"Charlotte, I ...," he growled, shaking his head, but broke off as her hand moved over his lower back.She really killed him.

"Please ..., the whole day was terrible for me. Let me feel that I really belong to you.” Her voice was choked with tears, she could only whisper breathlessly, but her eyes were trustingly fixed on his.

Sidney shook his head again, leaned his forehead against hers and cupped her cheeks with both hands.

"You didn't deserve that, Charlotte," he whispered hoarsely, swallowing hard."You deserve to be slowly undressed by me and gently placed in a soft bed. You deserve to be kissed by me - your whole body, every inch.”

His voice grew darker, as did his eyes, and Charlotte trembled uncontrollably."I want to stroke you, with my hands, my lips and my stubble, until you just lie whimpering beneath me.I want to taste you with my tongue - your skin, your scent, your juices - everything.”

Charlotte's legs gave way at his words and Sidney had to put an arm around her waist to keep her upright.Panting, he let his lips slip briefly over her mouth before he continued to speak softly.

"You deserve that I adore you - admire you, and not that I take you against a wall in a dark shed."

It was clear in his voice how much he wanted to do just that. The evidence of this was pressed against Charlotte's middle, large and hard, and with a slow breath she put a hand on his bearded cheek as her thumb stroked his full lower lip.

"I want all of this - and you can do whatever you want with me in our wedding night, but ...".Sidney’s lips on her mouth stopped her, she groaned as he kissed her hard and demanding and moved her hips again.He was losing his mind, had he just heard right?

"So you will marry me?" He asked breathlessly and in an uncertain voice. "You ..., you will be my wife, Charlotte?"

He whispered the words in her mouth and Charlotte smiled slightly."Yes ..., yes I ..., I would very much like to be your wife, Sidney."

Her words triggered something in him. His body moved, he lifted her up even more, pressed himself almost painfully into her soft curves and devoured her mouth in a way that completely consumed her.Demanding and full of desire, he danced with her tongue, sucked on her lip and kissed her deeper than ever before while setting her body on fire with one hand. 

He seemed to touch her everywhere, her neck, her breasts and ribs, down to her hips and thighs.Encouraged by his explorations, Charlotte let her hands wander again.She pulled his shirt completely out of his pants and slid her fingers over his sides and his hard muscles on his back.

When her fingertips slipped into his pants on his butt, he groaned loudly and pressed his forehead to hers with his eyes closed.

"Oh dear ..., how am I supposed to resist you?" He sounded completely defeated, almost desperate and Charlotte raised his face to hers so that she could look at him.

"Please Sidney, I need to know that ... that you belong to me, I have to ..., I need to know." She almost pleaded with him, the uncertainty of the day still hurt and she wanted to feel that nothing could separate them anymore. She wanted this unique connection with him. "Show me that we are one, Sidney."

That last whispered sentence made Sidney give up.For him they were one ...

"We are one, Charlotte..., I love you ...," he whispered softly, not giving her time to answer before his lips were on hers again.Now his kiss was gentle and full of tenderness, he carefully licked her lips and then slipped his tongue into her mouth as he gave her what she wanted.

Without releasing his lip from her mouth, he bent his body slightly, slipped his hands over her legs under her dress and took the hem of her skirt with his movement upwards. When he reached her bare thighs, he closed his hands around the soft, silky skin and lifted her up completely.

Surprised, Charlotte gasped, followed his lead and willingly wrapped her legs around his waist.His hot fingers under her dress made her whole body tremble, but now that her thighs spread around him, she could feel his hard cock better in that tingling area of her and she bit his lip moaning.

Sidney gave a hissing laugh, slowly pushed his hands up over her body and moved so that he pressed her against the wall with his hips. Her weight was soothing and insanely arousing at the same time - Sidney wanted her as much as she wanted him.

He felt her fingers on his back, but he wanted to feel them on his bare skin - he had to feel them.He hastily undid the buttons on his vest himself, pleased to see that she was helping him, and let her slip the garment over his shoulders.She also took his black suspenders down, and Sidney pulled his shirt over his head in one motion.

The relieved sigh that escaped him when Charlotte put her little hands directly on his hot skin made her laugh. Slowly she stroked his back and then over his sides to his hard abs that twitched under her fingertips.

Sidney looked at her, the black glow in his eyes made the heat inside her worse, but she just felt like she was burning up when his hands reached for her dress and dragged it down over her arms, leaving her with bare breasts in his arms while she was pressed against the wall by him.

They both groaned hoarsely as his fingers cupped her heavy breasts from below and he gently lifted the soft flesh up to his face.At the same time, his other hand slid back under her dress and found her bare bottom.He easily lifted her further up the wall, her velvety hill hard and firm in his palm, and the sensations flooded Charlotte.

She whimpered softly when his head dropped and she could feel his hot breath on her skin, but she screamed his name as his lips closed around her small, pink nipple.

"Sidney ...".

Full of lust, Sidney sucked her sweet bud into his hot mouth. He enjoyed the feeling, but trembled as her fingers reached into his hair.He growled, opened his mouth and licked wet circles around her nipple as his hand fell down on her thigh.Slowly he pushed the fabric of her white dress up until he could touch the bare, sensitive skin of her inner thigh and felt her goose bumps.

"How soft your skin is ...," he murmured barely audibly with her bud between his lips, kissed her with his mouth open and let his head move from her hands to her other breast.The nipple there was just as hard and stiff, she was begging for his tongue and Charlotte whimpered suffocatedly as he licked the tip of his tongue against it.

Charlotte felt the exact path of his fingers under her skirt and had no idea what he was going to do.So she sucked in the air sharply and opened her eyes as his fingertips slid into the fine curls between her legs.Sidney’s mouth had sipped gently on the soft flesh of her breast, but now he raised his head to look at her.

"Oh Charlotte ... I can already feel that you are wet for me," he whispered softly and smiled when he saw her frown.

She breathed so hard that her bare breasts pressed against his chest, she held his head with her hands and had her eyes half closed.Sidney gently stroked his lips across the furrow on her forehead, pushed his fingers further, and slowly slid over her folds. "Can you feel it?Your moisture ...?"

It took his breath away to feel her juices on his fingertips.Her warmth called for him, he gently increased the pressure on his fingers and opened her slit to soak into her wetness. The feeling of her was absolutely overwhelming, Sidney groaned roughly and pressed his mouth against her cheek to muffle his noises of pleasure.

"Is ... is it wrong?" Charlotte could hardly speak, her voice trembled and her whole body burned because of his touch, but his voice sounded desperate and he seemed to be weak, so she had to ask if something was wrong with her.

"What?" Sidney looked at her in surprise, stopped his movements and tried to calm his heavy breathing. She looked worried and Sidney leaned forward lovingly to kiss her gently.

"No, Charlotte ..., it ..., to feel that you are wet - that you want me and react to my touch is indescribably beautiful.It's ... it's a sign of your arousal, it's ... it's the same with me.I'm getting hard ..., my ...," he swallowed hard and stopped.

He had never spoken to anyone about these things before, but he wanted to explain it to her.He wanted her to understand that there was something special between them and that it was proof of their connection that they both responded so strongly to the other's touch.

He carefully searched for the right words and looked at her openly.

“Sometimes the sound of your voice was enough to wake something deep inside of me.A desire for you - a desire to get as close to you as possible.The need to touch your body, to hold you, to kiss and to taste you.” With both arms he held her under her butt, pressed against her and looked into her eyes.Her arms and legs clutched him, her head leaned against the wall and she listened to him attentively, but with red cheeks.

It was nice to be alone with him here, to feel his bare skin against hers and to be held by him as if she didn't weigh anything at all. Nobody would find them here, they were completely alone.

"When you touch me and I feel your warmth, my ..., my cock gets hard and stiff until it almost hurts. To hear you moan when I touch you ...," to show her what he meant, he raised a hand, put his fingers around her full breast and circled her nipple with his thumb, causing her eyes to flutter and a breathless whimper coming from her lips. 

"... to taste you when I kiss you ...," he stroked his lips gently over her open mouth, searched for her taste with his tongue and groaned when he found the tip of her tongue and stroked it.For a long moment they lost each other until Sidney’s hand fell down on her thigh again and he slipped under her skirt.

"I want to bury my nose in your fragrant curls, lick your juices with my tongue and lose myself in your moist warmth." His finger had reached her folds, he could feel that she was even wetter than before and growled roughly in her mouth as he looked into her half-opened eyes. 

"Charlotte ..., you feel so irresistibly good ...".

Charlotte pressed his head against hers with her hand and was completely overwhelmed by the strange sensations.

What he said ... what he was doing ... . She knew with absolute certainty that she could have listened to his dark, deep voice for the rest of her life. 

She loved him ..., loved him with every fiber of her being and even if she had no experience she was aware that it was something special between them.She wanted to tell him, wanted to let him know what he meant to her, but her breath stopped and all her thoughts disappeared from her head.

Gently and carefully, Sidney shoved his fingertips back into her wet, warm slit as her groan made his body shudder.Slowly, he glided through her delicate, slippery folds to her pearl to circle around and caress the bundle of nerves until it hardened under his fingers and began to pulsate. 

Since Charlotte had bent her head back and arched her torso into his, he let his lips and tongue slide freely over her bare skin.Hungry, he licked her breasts, sucked on her and put light kisses on her neck and throat.Charlotte's breathing grew faster and faster, her fingernails pulled over his scalp and shoulder blades, but when he slid his fingers through her slit to her dripping wet entrance to dip into her warmth with a fingertip, she stopped breathing completely for a moment.

"Sidney ..., oh god, ... your fingers ...".Her eyes were big and dark, her cheeks flushed and she pressed her mouth against his head as if to hide.But her hips moved - she wanted to feel his finger deeper inside of her.

"What?" Sidney asked breathlessly and quietly, but you could clearly hear his admiration for her."Can you feel my finger?"

She nodded, unable to answer, and sucked his lower lip into her mouth.Sidney carefully circled her opening with his fingertip before slowly entering her with two fingers. 

With a soft cry, Charlotte bent against him, her fingers tugging at his curls, and Sidney grabbed her mouth with his to kiss her deeply and passionately.

Being inside of her, feeling her tight walls on his fingers and experiencing what he could do to her with his slow movements was almost too much for Sidney.He wanted to open his pants so desperately, they were too tight and hurt him, but he only pressed against her thigh to stabilize her and give his hand more room to move.

The more he thrust his fingers into her, the more passionate their kiss became, but finally Charlotte tore her lips from his and pressed her mouth against his neck as she shouted his name.He could feel her inner muscles gripping his fingers, stroked her walls, and turned his head back until he could look at her as she fell undone.

The love, arousal and pleasure he felt when he saw and heard her moaning and whimpering at her first climax in her life was absolutely overwhelming.

"You are so beautiful, Charlotte ..., I love you so much," he murmured in a choked voice."You will soon be my wife ..., my wife ...".

It took a while for Charlotte's breathing to calm and her body to stop tingling and shiver. She had completely lost control of herself when his fingers moved inside of her and something seemed to have exploded in her body. Only now did she notice that Sidney had wrapped his arms around her and pressed his hips firmly against hers to hold her weight while he had buried his head on the back of her neck.

His body was completely tense and he was trembling, but his lips kept kissing the soft skin under her ear.

"I ... I love you, Sidney."

Sidney looked up at her hoarse, weak voice and met her eyes. He saw tears shimmering in them, leaned forward and gently kissed her eyelids to kiss the moisture away."I love being held by you ... in your strong arms.I ... I love to feel your lips on mine and ... and how you touch me ..., it ... it does something inside of me that I have never experienced before."

Sidney couldn't help but smile. He had never felt such a connection to another person.

"Marry me ... as soon as possible Charlotte, and allow me to share my life with you."

It was half a sob and half a laugh that escaped her, but Charlotte gently stroked his bearded cheeks and leaned her forehead against his.She had already agreed to be his wife, but actually hearing the question made her heart race.

"Yes, I want to marry you." Now Sidney sobbed and his eyes closed briefly."I want to be part of your life, Sidney, I want ..., I want to be by your side forever."

Sidney blindly searched for her mouth, kissed her deeply and tenderly, while her warm hands made his muscles twitch.

He knew they should have left this shed a long ago - what if someone was looking for them? 

But he didn't want to lose the feeling of her half-naked body yet, wanted to feel her hands on his skin, but he shook his head as she wandered over his abs to the waistband of his pants.

"Don't do that, Charlotte ...," he whispered hoarsely, turning his hips a little.

"Why? Let me feel you, Sidney, deep inside of me, like your fingers ...”. Charlotte felt his rock hard cock pressing against her thigh and even if it wasn't right, she needed him.

"I can't do that, Charlotte ...".His voice sounded desperate, rough and dark, and it sent a shiver down her spine. "I want it ..., God, I want it so badly, but ...".

Charlotte gently wrapped his cheeks, raised his head to hers, and forced him to look at her."Sidney, please.I know I have no experience in these things, and I know you think it is not right, but ..., ” her cheeks blushed shyly and she bit her lip briefly, but did not turn her eyes away from his."I want you ..., I need you." 

Sidney’s resistance broke, he groaned, and when her fingers hesitantly reached for the buttons on his breeches, he pulled his hips back a bit to give her space.Charlotte could feel his body shiver as her fingers undid the buttons and opened his pants.And then her fingers met the velvety, hot skin of his hard cock.

"Ohhh ...," it was just a whisper, she pressed her back against the wall to look between their bodies and saw his big and long cock in her hand. 

Sidney swayed slightly and his legs went weak as she ran her fingers over his hard length, closed her palm around him and gently slid up and down. It was too much ..., he ached for her wet warmth and he groaned loudly and desperately.

"Charlotte ...".

He lifted her gently further, moving his hips so that the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance, but when her wetness hit him - when he felt her heat, he couldn't wait. He had to be inside her - inside her warm cave ...

"Can you feel me enter you, Charlotte?How your warm, narrow walls take me in and your wetness connects us?"

Panting, he slowly and gently entered her, pushing himself ever deeper into her tight warmth and speaking to her as his lips brushed hers.

"Yes ... ohhh, that's ...," She moaned into his mouth and enjoyed the feeling that he was spreading her and slowly filling her until she felt a brief, sharp pain.

Charlotte winced for a moment, but Sidney didn't stop, instead carefully pulling his hips back a little, using gentle rocking movements to push himself forward until his entire impressive length was inside her and the little pain was replaced - by a much more intense feeling.

"You fill me up completely ..., you are so deep inside of me, Sidney." She sounded almost surprised, looked at him full of admiration and sipped his lips.His faster breathing moved her damp curls, his eyes glowed and his face had taken on a completely adoring expression.

Sidney felt like he was in heaven.To be inside of her - to be one with her was completely overwhelming and his eyes filled with tears.

"I could stay that way for the rest of my life - I feel like I'm finally home ...". He gently reached for her breast with one hand, he had to feel her hard bud between his fingers and began to move as his tongue dipped between her lips at the same time. 

The long, deep, and demanding thrusts he used to keep hitting a sensitive spot inside her made Charlotte scream, the heat in her body began to boil, and she could only hold on to him. It was breathtaking and beautiful ....

Her wet, smooth walls rubbed against the hard veins on his cock, she was hot and indescribably tight and Sidney knew that he could not hold back much longer.His legs trembled, his fingers tightened around her heavy, full breast, and he kissed her as desperately as if he was afraid she would disappear. 

He could feel it when her inside surrendered to him and she fell over the edge a second time. She held him inside her, her walls seemed to twitch and his cock hardened even more before he poured his salvation inside her warmth with a loud, growling moan.

Charlotte also screamed, his cock had become even thicker and stiffer inside her, had made her body tingle and then his juices had mixed with hers.

It was a magical feeling - it was as if their beings were merging and becoming one.

She was barely aware that Sidney was moving. He could no longer stand upright, he had the feeling that his legs would give way, so he held Charlotte tight, turned around and let himself slide slowly with his back against the wall to the floor.

Their two bodies were pressed together, their limbs tangled, and both had their heads buried in the other's neck.

The moment was perfect. It felt like they were already married, as if they were already husband and wife and apparently needed their mutual, complete closeness as much as they needed air to breathe.


	5. To share a life ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter ...  
> I loved this story very much and hope you enjoyed reading it. Thank you all for your lovely comments, they are the greatest reward for writing

"Are you ready?"

Sidney’s soft voice in her ear made her shiver, but she smiled happily and nodded.

His body pressed close to her side in the carriage, he held her hand and kissed her neck while inhaling a deep breath of her intoxicating scent. He enjoyed making her shiver or blush and did it as often as he could.

"I don't know if I'm ready to share you, though, my dear ...," Sidney muttered as his stubble brushed the soft skin under her ear. When he heard her faint, suppressed whimper, he kissed her gently.

"Then just don't leave me alone and stay by my side." Charlotte's voice trembled, she reached into his hair with one hand and pulled his head to hers to slowly grab his lips with hers.

She had already learned that there were many ways he kissed her, and she loved all of them.Sometimes it was passionate and deep, sometimes hard and rough, or sweet and playful.

Now it was slow and sensual, full of tenderness and love and it let her completely dissolve in him. His tongue, slowly and deliberately tracing the shape of her lips, slipped into her mouth and then slowly wrapped around hers and caressed her, making her feel completely his while he was completely hers.

It was difficult for both of them to part, but the carriage had meanwhile stopped and they had to get out.

"I won't dare to let go of your hand ... I would be completely lonely and lost without you." Sidney was absolutely serious. He wasn't going to let her out of his eyes - let alone out of his hands. He leaned closer to her, kissed her lips gently again, then reached for the door handle.

Sidney stepped outside first, held out his hand to Charlotte and helped her get out.He admired her beautiful dress with the purple colored Spencer and her bonnet.

"You look really beautiful, my love."

Charlotte smiled brightly, squeezed his fingers, then she put her hand into the crook of his elbow. They hadn't looked at anyone yet, but they could already hear a murmur going through the crowd.

It was the wedding of Esther Denham and Lord Babington, most of the guests were standing in front of the church that belonged to Sanditon House, waiting to go inside.

Taking a deep breath and with an encouraging look, Sidney turned and led Charlotte across the gravel path to the group of people who were looking curiously at them.The only one who smiled was Mary, but Tom, Lady Denham, Arthur and Diana looked utterly confused.

“Sindey, what ... what are you doing?And where have you been anyway?” Tom broke off nervously when he heard Lady Denham hissing and looked uncertainly at the joined hands of the two. Sidney had put his free hand over Charlotte's in the crook of his arm and they were walking so close together that it was really improper.

"Miss Heywood ...," Lady Denham said the name with raised eyebrows and looked at them both sharply, but Sidney interrupted the sullen woman by clearing his throat.

"Tom, Lady Denham," he said clearly and with a slight bow.“Sorry if I interrupt, but may I introduce my wife to you? Mrs. Charlotte Parker ... ".He couldn't hide his smile as he looked at his wife, who blushed a little and grabbed his arm tighter.

Charlotte heard the gasp of the people standing around, saw Tom's confused expression and Lady Denham's self-righteous smile.

"So, Mrs. Charlotte Parker ...," said the old lady, shaking her head with a snort."I thought you just wanted to get married out of love?"

"That's exactly what i did, Lady Denham," replied Charlotte serious and firm."I married the man I love and who loves me."

Lady Denham turned hissing and went into the church to wait for her niece.These Parkers were impossible, but little Miss Heywood had at least chosen the best of the three brothers.

While Mary and Arthur happily hugged the newlyweds and greeted them back here in Sanditon, Diana and Tom looked confused.

"I don't understand Sidney ... when?And why did you two get married?" Tom's face was really surprised and worried, and Sidney needed everything not to yell at him angrily,

"What do you mean by _why_ , Tom?" He asked, slightly tense, but when Charlotte stroked his arm soothingly, he took a deep breath.

"We got married in Willingden a few weeks ago after I asked Charlotte for her hand in marriage at the regatta."

Tom was still confused and now frowned.“In Willingden?But why not here?We could have given a ball and invited half of London to it?"

Sidney gritted his teeth with a sigh as he heard Mary cursing her husband."Tom, just congratulate them both and stop acting like an offended child."

“But Mary, why is he doing this?He hasn't attended the Midsummer Ball and now he just got married without us? And not even here in Sanditon?"

Charlotte felt bad, she had known there would be an argument between Tom and Sidney and was about to apologize when Sidney looked at her and silently asked her to let him speak.

“You were invited, Tom, the invitation the Heywoods sent here was for all of you, the whole Parker family. But you had more important things to do.I married the woman I love in her hometown because I wanted it that way - we both wanted it that way, and it was a wonderful little celebration with her parents, her siblings, my ward, my two best friends and Mary and your children.”

He spoke calmly, but in a dark voice and his face was tense, as was his body.To make him feel that she was with him, Charlotte pressed herself even more into his side and saw with relief how his face twisted into a small smile.

“I didn't attend the midsummer ball because you tried to persuade me to ask Mrs. Campion for her hand and marry her, but you didn't listen when I told you I was already engaged. I would appreciate your welcoming my wife to our family now, and then I would like to attend my oldest friend's wedding in peace."

Tom and Sidney stared at each other for a moment, Sidney breathing heavily and looking darkly, Tom surprised and maybe a little nervous.

But then a beaming smile appeared on Tom Parker's face, he laughed loudly and hugged the amazed Charlotte happily.

“Of course, of course ... welcome to the Parker family, dear Charlotte.I couldn't be happier to have such a great young woman as a sister-in-law."

When Sidey breathed in with relief, he felt his little brother's hand on his shoulder and turned to his other two siblings.

"What a fiery speech, dear brother." Arthur laughed in amusement and winked at him."You have chosen a great woman, I sincerely congratulate you both."

Diana also managed to congratulate her brother, but then she let Arthur lead her to the tent with the refreshments, as this day was much more exciting than expected. 

The Parkers were finally able to enter the church, and while Sidney stood next to Lord Babington at the altar, his eyes stayed on his wife.

It wasn't until late at dusk that they both made it out of the shed on the day of the regatta.

Closely embraced, they had slowly walked into town on a detour and had purposely avoided everyone else. Reluctantly but determined, Sidney had led his fiancée straight to the back entrance of Trafalger House, where he had kissed her long and tender under the protection of a tree. He hadn't accompanied her inside, but had said goodbye to her at the door, even if it had been terribly difficult for him.

Knowing that Eliza was probably still at the hotel, he had been careful not to meet her, but he had run into Tom.They had argued terribly, Tom tried to force him to court Mrs. Campion, but he hadn't listened to what Sidney had said. 

Angry, Sidney had finally disappeared into his hotel room, where he had lain on the floor in front of the fireplace all night, thinking of Charlotte.

The very next day he had left for Willingden to speak to her father.He couldn't wait any longer and was far too impatient for an answer.Besides, he didn't trust himself if he stayed in the same town as her.

Just three days later, Charlotte and Georgiana had followed him.It had been the perfect excuse that Geoegiana needed a change and when they got to Charlottes home they had been greeted by a relieved and completely relaxed Sidney and a satisfied Mr. Heywood.

The two of them had sat in the evening sun in a cloud of smoke in front of the Heywood's house and had talked about Antigua, much to the displeasure of Charlotte's mother. 

It had also been Charlotte's mother who had objected to a quick marriage and engagement for only the three weeks required, but Charlotte had not accepted otherwise.

Impressed and fascinated, Sidney had watched her insist on her wishes - with red cheeks and a deep furrow between her eyebrows.

When she had accompanied him that evening to the inn where he had rented a room, he had grabbed her and pressed her against a tree, hidden from the street.He had kissed her for a long time full of longing, had inhaled her scent and hugged her tightly.They had barely managed to break away from each other - the longing and the need to feel each other again had been painful.

It had been the last time he'd lost control.

In the very difficult three weeks that followed, Sidney had courted Charlotte affectionately and touched nothing but her hand. He had insisted he owed it to her after she had already seduced him twice, but Charlotte hadn't been pleased. 

Because of this, they'd both been more than relieved when the day finally came and Sidney could officially make Charlotte his wife.

Their wedding had been small and intimate - and beautiful.

They had married in the little chapel in Willingden, and Charlotte was just adorable. Sidney had endured the teasing of his two oldest friends without grumbling - he was just to happy. They had breakfast in the Heywoods' garden, danced with the children in the meadows and laughed more than ever before.

“I can't say how happy I am that you two found each other, Sidney.From the first moment I noticed how you looked at her, but it took you a while to open your walls for her.” Mary had smiled at Sidney, who had leaned against a tree trunk to watch his young wife with Georgiana and their siblings.He had a loving smile on his face and hadn't taken his eyes off Charlotte when he had answered his sister-in-law.

“Thank you Mary.She is ... she is like the part of me that was always missing.I thought I would never be able to open up to anyone again after ...".

Shaking his head he broke off, his eyes had met Charlotte's and he had looked at her lovingly."She is different. I've never felt anything like this for anyone before, and she gives it back the same way."

"This is true love, Sidney, as it should be - without having to give anything, but being able to do it when you want it."

Mary had squeezed his hand while Charlotte walked up to them.Without hesitation, they had hugged each other and ignored who might have seen them and when Sidney had kissed her tenderly, the children had cheered.

Not long after that, they said goodbye to retreat to Sidney’s room in the inn.

Now when Charlotte thought of what had come after, looking at her husband at the altar next to his best friend, her cheeks flushed a little.It seemed like Sidney knew exactly what she was thinking about as his mouth curled in a small smile. 

Charlotte could see that his eyes were getting darker, she saw his love and his adoration for her in them and was sure that he was thinking of the same thing as she herself ..... 

~ 

Charlotte had her arm tightly around his and clawed her fingers into the fabric of his coat as they walked slowly and in the same rhythm over the curved bridge.It was late afternoon, it was warm and sunny and she had long since taken off her shoes and stockings, which is why she seemed even smaller next to him with bare feet.

They had wanted to leave some time ago, but Charlotte's mother kept coming up with something else to stop them.Finally, Charlotte's father had stepped in so they could say goodbye and leave together. 

"I'm so relieved that I can finally have you all to myself." Sidney spoke softly, leaned down a little to her ear and enjoyed seeing how she shuddered.“I feel like I'm going insane.You have no idea how much I have missed your closeness over the past few weeks."

Every night he'd spent alone at the inn, Sidney had wished he had her with him.The memories of the night in his hotel room or the shed in Sanditon had flooded him, his body had been tense and it had got worse every day.

"I missed you too," Charlotte replied in a low, shy whisper. 

They had spent every minute of every day together for the past few weeks.They'd walked for hours, telling stories about their childhood, getting to know each other and talking about all sorts of things. 

The time had been wonderful, but Georgiana and Alison had always accompanied them.Charlotte had understood that Sidney hadn't touched her anymore, but she longed for him so much that her body really ached.She wanted to feel him - his hands, his lips and his body against hers. 

"I wished ...".Charlotte broke off uncertainly and blushed a little.Her shy tone made Sidney stop.

"What, my love?" To get Charlotte to stop too, he wrapped his arms around her slim body and pulled her close.It felt like heaven ...

"I wished ... I could lie next to you in your bed and sleep in your arms instead of having to say goodbye to you every night." Her voice was trembling a little and she had fixed her gaze on the knot of his tie when she felt him gently put a finger under her chin.Sidney lifted her head tenderly to meet her eyes with his and the look in them made Charlotte breathless.

"Please don't be nervous, Charlotte." He whispered in a low, hoarse voice as his face came closer and closer to hers."Do you know how often I walked to your house at night to look at your window?"

He heard her gasp in surprise and laughed softly.Slowly he let his hands slide up her back and placed them on her neck while his fingertips slid into her curls.

“I want ... I want to open every single button on your dress so that I can finally look at you again - as my wife.To caress your beautiful curves, your seductive breasts and your soft skin. I finally want to taste your scent in my mouth and bury myself in your warm moisture."

At his words Charlotte had to close her eyes, her fingers closed on his coat and her heart raced.She wanted it all as much as he did.

"I love you, Charlotte, and from today I will not sleep a single night without you in my arms - from this moment on, nothing and no one can separate us from each other."

Without a word, Charlotte rose on tiptoe and put her lips on his.They both hummed with relief, Charlotte felt how Sidney held her head tighter so she couldn't pull back and the pressure of his lips increased.

Just as Charlotte put her arms around his neck, he wrapped his around her waist and lifted her up a little.It was a tender, gentle kiss, and yet it was a promise. 

A promise for what their life together would be like.

Charlotte felt completely at home in his arms, but she could feel his muscles moving beneath the thick fabric of his clothing on his back and she longed irrepressibly to touch his bare skin.

"I remember every word you said in the shed," she whispered to his lips as she pressed breathlessly her forehead against his."What ... what you want to do with me ... in our wedding night."

Her soft voice made Sidney shiver and Charlotte looked into his eyes with flushed cheeks.There was pure love, admiration and longing in it - and all consuming desire.

"Will you allow me?" It was just a rough growl, barely audible and it triggered a tingling sensation in Charlotte's body that shook her whole being."To do all these things that I wanna do so badly?"

She could only nod. 

All of a sudden, Sidney’s eyes went black. He swayed a little before he put her gently on her feet, took her hand and led her with quick steps to the inn on the outskirts of Willingden.

On the stairs to his room, Charlotte felt Sidney’s hand quite deep on her lower back and his heat seared through the thin fabric of her simple wedding dress onto her skin.Her sister Allison had made the dress from her mother's old wedding dress, and she looked really great in it.It was slim and simply cut, with a high neckline and long sleeves, but the light fabric played around her figure.

It was more than difficult for Sidney to hold back.The white muslin of her dress floated around her curves and he already felt the painful tightness in his pants.He wanted this woman so badly - his wife ...

No sooner had he closed the door behind him than he freed himself from his heavy coat, his shoes and his stockings.His body burned with hot desire, he also impatiently tugged at his tie until it finally gave way and the whole time he watched her.

Her flushed cheeks looked lovely, her curls pinned only to the sides of her head so that they fell open over her back, but he could see how hard she was breathing. 

"Would you like to start first?" Sidney didn't want her to be uncomfortable, so he asked the question in a low, dark voice. 

When Charlotte turned to him, she had a smile on her face, but her eyebrows were raised questioningly. 

"I mean ... do you want to undress me?"

The thought made him a little nervous himself. He had never been completely undressed by a woman, but the desire to be completely naked with his wife was strong and very arousing.

"You ...?" Would he really allow her to undress him?Charlotte's fingers began to tremble, but her heart was racing with joy and excitement."Yes ... yes, I would like that very much."

Slowly and with a little shaky feet she walked up to him.She could feel his dark eyes on her face, but couldn't take her gaze away from his bare neck. 

Although she had seen him shirtless before - even though she had already touched his bare skin - it seemed somehow different now.Now he was her husband - he was hers forever, nobody could take him away from her and that was a wonderful feeling.

When her fingertips touched the soft skin under his throat, Sidney closed his eyes with a shudder.Her touch was delicate and light, but still his breaths quickened and became heavy. 

Sidney felt her slowly and carefully undo the top button of his shirt, felt her fingers slide into the open collar and gently slide over his collarbone, and had to close his fists to keep himself from reaching for her.

Seeing how much he responded to her touch made Charlotte's heart race.His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed, his muscles tensed and his skin covered with goose bumps.

More courageously, Charlotte grabbed the buttons on his dark waistcoat, opened them skillfully, and pushed the soft material over his shoulders.Carelessly she tossed the garment on the floor without taking her eyes off his torso.Again he was wearing black suspenders, which she also gently pushed down while she lifted her face to his for a moment.

He looked at her, watching every movement with his dark, intense eyes and Charlotte's breath caught.He looked so beautiful ...

When their eyes met, he smiled slightly until he felt her fingers on his waistband.She dipped slightly under the waistband before reaching for the fabric of his shirt and just that touch made him stagger.The emotions that ran over his face made Charlotte continue to undress him.

Slowly she pulled his shirt up, leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest.Feeling his skin that way was so intimate, she slowly let her mouth slide over his twitching muscles while Sidney pulled his shirt over his head. 

Now he was only wearing his pants and her hands gently slid back to his waistband.While she kissed his neck tenderly, her fingers searched for the button and stroked the hard bulge, which made Sidney hiss.

"Charlotte ..." She was driving him crazy.His hands gently reached into her hair - had to touch her.

"What are you doing to me?" He whispered breathlessly, raised her face to look at her and leaned his forehead against hers. 

"I'm undressing you ...". Charlotte muttered before his lips touched hers, but when she undid the button on his pants he pressed his mouth against her temple and breathed shakily. 

He could feel her fingers pushing the heavy material of his dark breeches down, he shuddered when it fell completely on the floor, but kicked the material away to stand completely naked in front of his wife.

“May ... may I touch you?Everywhere?” Her voice was trembling and barely audible, but she couldn't wait for an answer.

Her fingers were already sliding over his abdominal muscles to the mounds on his hips, where she hesitated for a moment.But since Sidney stood motionless with closed eyes and his whole body seemed to be glowing, she moved slowly around him to look closely at him.

She slid her fingertips over his left shoulder blade to his spine, stroked the bone down to the hollows on his lower back, and heard him moan softly her name.Goosebumps were all over him, his butt tensed, but when she kissed him on the spot between his shoulder blades, he groaned roughly.

"Ahhh ...".

Charlotte's eyes hung on his broad back until she found courage enough to look at his bottom.Gently she let her hands slide over the sweet hills, stroked his thighs and smiled as he turned his head back to her.

"You are a really beautiful man, aren't you?" She whispered in awe, slowly starting to walk around him again, sliding her hand over his hips to the soft curls under his navel.

"I don't know," Sindey gasped, swaying again, his whole body shaking."I'm yours, only you have ever looked at me like that."

Charlotte looked up with a frown, his hot breath sliding over her face and Sidney raised his hand to smooth the furrow between her eyebrows.

"You can do whatever you want with me, you know that ...," he whispered in response to her previous question, but his breath caught as her hand slipped further down and rested on his painfully hard cock.

At first she just pressed her palm against him lightly, but her fingertips pushed deeper through his curls and touched his balls.It seemed as if his cock was getting bigger and she carefully cupped him at the root with her whole hand.

"Charlotte ...," it was a desperate whimper that escaped him that turned into a groan as she slowly slid up with her closed hand.

She gasped as Sidney reached out for her and his fingers closed around her upper arms.His head fell forward, his eyes closed and Charlotte looked down at her fingers, which carefully caressed the velvety, hot skin of his hard length.

He felt good, thick and heavy in her little hand.She could see some moisture on the red tip and circled it with her thumb, causing Sidney to growl loudly and lose control.

He pulled her close, cupped the back of her head in one hand and grabbed her lips in a deep kiss.When his tongue slipped between her lips to slide into her mouth, Charlotte let go of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Losing her hand hurt, so Sidney grabbed her own bum to hold her tight against himself. But she was fully dressed, too many layers of cloth covered her beautiful body, so he reluctantly pulled away from her sweet mouth.

"I want to undress you too ..., I want ...," Sidney swallowed, but his hands were already grasping the small buttons that started at her neckline and reached down to her waist.He only vaguely remembered that he wanted to undress her slowly and gently - wanted to worship her and therefore tried to take a deep breath.

"You're driving me crazy," he whispered apologetically, forcing himself to put his hands around her cheek and kiss her tenderly.Charlotte smiled, she was proud to trigger these emotions in him and missed his hands on her dress.

"I would like to feel how you touch me ..., would like to feel your bare skin on mine again." She didn't dare to look at him when she whispered the words, but kept her eyes closed.

But she felt him.

She felt his fingers slide back to her neckline to further undo the buttons on her dress.She felt how the fabric came loose when he finally opened them all and how his fingers slipped into the opening over her ribs to her sensitive breasts in order to remove the tight dress from her body. 

When it fell to the floor, she heard his gasp and looked at him.She was only wearing a thin shirt, had purposely omitted a corset and knew that the material was almost transparent.

Sidney's gaze was fixed on her breasts, on her rosy nipples, which were pressing through the sheer fabric, and his mouth went dry.

This time it was a button that held her shirt together, and his fingers trembled when he reached for it.The longing to look at her completely naked made him shudder, but still he moved slowly. 

With both hands he pushed the thin fabric apart, pressed the straps over her shoulders and groaned as her garment fell to the floor.Breathing heavily, he took a small step back and let his eyes slide admiringly over her graceful body. 

"Ooh Charlotte ... how beautiful you are."

The deep growl of his voice made her skin tingle, but that was nothing compared to his fingers, which started on her lips and moved gently downwards.

He tenderly drew a line from her throat through the valley between her breasts to her belly button.His eyes followed, paused briefly on the tips of her nipples, but then slid to the black curls between her legs.It was unbearable, he had to taste her.

Her skin, her juices - had to feel her hard buds in his mouth and finally smell the scent of her curls.

In one smooth movement he lifted his wife in his arms and heard her laugh in surprise.She held on to him, found his mouth to kiss him as he walked slowly to the bed, enjoying how his hand closed around her breast instead of around her side.

Sidney put her tenderly in the middle of the bed, knelt beside her on the mattress and looked at her.Her legs were closed, her breasts lifted with heavy breaths and her cheeks were flushed, but she returned his gaze with confidence.

"I love you, Charlotte," he whispered softly as he slowly climbed over her.With one hand he propped himself up next to her head, while the other closed around her full breast as if magically drawn.

"You are so sensual - so seductive ... and you are mine."

Charlotte couldn't answer.His large hand, which was holding her breast, made her close her eyes and arch toward him.The grip of his fingers got stronger, she felt his breath on her face and opened her mouth to look for his taste and moaned when she felt his tongue on her lip.

He kissed her slowly and in a way that made her completely sensless.It was as if he were worshiping her mouth, as if he wanted to tell her in this way how much he loved her. 

And she understood - because she felt exactly the same for him.Although she could barely breathe, she whimpered as his lips pulled away from hers, but then she felt his hot mouth under her ear.

As he had promised, he kissed every inch of her skin, everything he could reach. From her ear to her throat, over her collarbone to the soft mounds of her breasts.

Gasping, Charlotte reached into his hair as he brushed his stubble over her nipple.Her upper body rose against him, she whimpered, but Sidney didn't stop.With his mouth open he stroked her breasts, made her shiver again and again with his beard and inhaled the scent of her skin.

She smelled of the lavender in her soap and of herself.

"Sindey ...".

Only when she whined his name and pulled his hair tighter did he close his lips around her stiff, rosy nipple and sucked it gently into his mouth.At the same time his hand closed around her other, heavy breast - reddened by his stubble - and caressed it tenderly, circling her bud with his thumb.

He took his time, enjoyed hearing her moan and licked wet patterns on her breasts until he couldn't take it any longer and slid further down. 

He ran his mouth, stubble, and tongue down her ribs, stomach and hips, but her soft, fragrant curls begged for him.

He was still kneeling over her legs, which is why they were closed, but while he pressed his nose against her navel, his hand slid over her leg.

Did he really want her to open her legs for him?

Charlotte could hardly think clearly, she was completely lost in his touch. He worshiped not only her mouth but her whole body, completely setting her on fire.

Sidney slowly slid his hand on the inside of her thigh at the level of her knee and slid back up from there.He just pressed lightly, but when he felt her give way and spread her leg slightly to one side, he moved his body so that he could lie between her legs.

He heard her whimper loudly as he pushed her other leg with his face to the side, felt her sensitive skin twitch as his stubble brushed her soft, velvety thigh and kissed her with his mouth open.Her scent grew stronger now that her legs were spreading for him, and his need was unbearable.

"May I taste your juices, Charlotte?" Again his voice was just a dark growl - and again he couldn't wait for her answer.

Charlotte felt how his head drooped, how his face was buried in the soft curls under her navel and her hips rose by themselves towards his head.Sidney reached under her with one hand, cupped the firm mounds of her backside, while with the other he spread her leg even further to the side.

Her scent was sensual, he gently kissed a path down to her folds and groaned when he already felt her moisture on his lips.She was wet - soaking wet ...

He raised his head to look at her just for a brief moment before his longing took control and her whimper gave him permission.

Groaning, he dipped his tongue into her slit and licked from her wet entrance to her tiny pearl.

"Oohh ... Sidney," she screamed softly, her body reared up and her fists closed on the sheets of their bed.His tongue was hot and felt amazing.Her whole body began to tingle and throb, while her hips rose searchingly so as not to lose his mouth.

Her reaction made his cock throb painfully as his tongue slowly circled her pearl.Her taste in his mouth was indescribably arousing, full of lust he closed his lips around her bundle of nerves and he sucked gently at first - then harder.

She screamed again, Sidney let his hand slide higher up her thigh to spread her folds even further with his fingers and licked, sucked and kissed the dark red, glittering skin of her folds until he reached her entrance.She had gotten even wetter, Sidney slowly pushed his tongue into her insides, licked her tight walls, but he felt on his thumb, which was pressing against her pearl, how she began to pulsate.

So he slid his fingers through her slit, entered her with two and closed his lips around her pearl again, licking circles around it with his tongue in his mouth.

His own moans mingled with hers, he gently moved his fingers, but Charlotte couldn't take it long.She came with his name on her lips, fell undone, and clasped his head to hold on to him.

The wave of her climax was strong and consumed her, she only felt him and the tingling of her body and kept whispering the name of her husband.

What he did to her was absolutely overwhelming.

Her body was still shaking, but Sidney had to become one with her.

Carefully he pushed himself over her tiny body, kissed her skin and lovingly cupped her breasts with his fingers, but when her legs closed around his hips and her hands pulled his head to her face, he put his full weight on her.

“I can't wait any longer, Charlotte.I can still taste you in my mouth, your naked body is beautiful and soft and my cock hurts because I want to be inside you."

His lips brushed hers as he spoke, and Charlotte couldn't help but dip her tongue into his mouth.Sidney grabbed her hand with his, intertwined their fingers and propped himself up next to her head on the bed as he returned her kiss.

"This is so beautiful, Sidney ... what you do to me." It was indescribable to feel his weight.She felt as close to him as possible, could feel him hard and hot at her middle and moved her hips so that he could slide into her entrance.Sidney groaned and pressed his lips against her cheek, his body trembling with need and longing, but he didn't move.

"You like it?When I touch you ... kiss you ... devour you?” His whispered, half-growled question touched Charlotte, and she searched his eyes.

"Yes ... yes, Sidney.I love it ... every second that I spend with you.” The love between them was almost palpable."Please make us one ... let me feel you inside of me."

"We are one ...," Sidney breathed the words against her mouth before taking her lip between his.He entered her gently and slowly, but she was so wet that his thick cock slipped easily into her narrow walls and he couldn't resist.

With a hard thrust he buried himself in her warmth, heard her moan loudly, but did not let go of her mouth.He kissed her as he moved gently inside of her, The feeling of her tight heat gripping his cock and the way she lifted her hips against his thrusts was so beautiful - so intimate and the bond that exists between them grew stronger and stronger.

They were one ...

Without parting their lips, they climaxed together. Both whispered each other's name into their mouths, their intertwined fingers tightening and their bodies trembling with emotion and sensation.

Charlotte could feel how he poured himself into her, how their juices mixed and held him tightly as his body collapsed on top of hers.

Sidney could barely move, his body felt completely boneless, but he managed to drop on his side and pull her exhausted body with him.Still bound together, they clung to each other as each head pressed against the other's neck.

Until the sun rose again the next morning, they didn't want to let go again. They made love over and over again and fell asleep while their bodies were entwined.

They did so every night since this one - they slept in each other's arms. 

~ 

After the ceremonie, Charlotte stood in front of the church in deep thought.She had taken off her bonnet, was holding it in her hand and was still in memories at her own wedding when she heard her husband's deep voice right in her ear.

“You seemed a little blushed in church. Where were your thoughts, Mrs. Parker?"

Her cheeks flushed again because his voice made her body tingle.She leaned back against his broad chest in search of his warmth.Immediately his arms snaked around her middle, even if it was utterly indecent.

"Wherever yours were - I saw the look on your face." She spoke softly, but she could feel him shudder at the sound.

Sidney laughed softly, pulled her closer and ignored his brother's disapproving look.With his lips on her temple, he inhaled her before kissing her and whispering softly.

"Mmhh ..., I think we should get back to our hotel room as soon as possible." He put his splayed fingers on her stomach, knowing that his child - their child was growing in it. 

Charlotte had been nervous, since the child's conception was probably more likely due to their meeting in the shed rather than their wedding night, so she had been glad to escape her mother's eyes.

When she told Sidney about her suspicions, he started crying and just held her for a long time.He never expected to get such happiness in his life and he was grateful that she was with him.

“I love you, Charlotte.Both of you ... ", he whispered on her cheek, while his lips came closer and closer to her mouth.

Although she knew they were being looked at in disapproval from several sides, Charlotte turned her head and kissed his lips gently. 

Here - in his arms - nothing could happen to her.She knew that he would always protect her, always hold her and, most importantly, love her forever.

“I love you too, Sidney.I can't wait to be completely alone with you for a while."

In two days they would be boarding a ship to sail to France. They wanted to be alone together, which is why Sidney had asked his friend Crowe for his country house there. 

Georgiana had refused their request to accompany them and instead asked to stay with the Heywoods. Since Charlotte's parents had been delighted with the prospect, Sidney had agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly

But it gave them time to themselves. It was the beginning of their life, the start of their family ...

"Me too ...".Sidney kissed his wife's lips again before pulling back with a sigh. 

“Tom is currently stabbing me with his eyes.I'll have to talk to him, and I know he'll be angry that we'll be leaving Sanditon for a while."

Charlotte smiled and patted Sidney’s chest, where there was a letter in his waistcoat.“I am sure you will be able to calm him down with Lady Susans request to build a house here.You can tell him that she would like to rent an apartment in the new terraces for autumn, that will certainly put him in a mild mood."

Sidney frowned skeptically, which made Charlotte laugh even more.

"He'll always want more than I can give, but it doesn't matter now." Sidney smiled lovingly at her and his eyes shone with affection. 

"I have you now ... you are my home, and the only thing that matters to me."

With arms bandaged, they met Sidney’s family, shared their plans and listened to Tom's wailing.They then spent most of their time with the newlyweds and Mr. Crowe before saying goodbye shortly after Lord Babington and Esther.

Without her knowing it, Sidney had asked for the exact room in the hotel that he stayed here for the last time.

That evening he made love to his wife on the floor in front of the fireplace, where he had touched her for the first time. 

As then, her skin glowed in the flickering light of the fire as he kissed every in inch of her body and caressed her with his lips. They held each other tightly as they moved moaning in the same rhythm. They kissed passionately as their bodies surrendered to each other and finally fell they asleep with their limbs tangled.

Sidney thanked God for the rain that night, which had made him lose control - but which had also brought the woman he loved into his room.

~ End ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon ...  
> I have a few more and hope you want to read them ...


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